


JARVIS Goes a bit Skynet and Bubble Wraps Sir in Gold-Titanium Alloy

by Violetsaber525



Series: How Getting Caught up with the Starks Fixed the Universe [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Jarvis (Iron Man movies), BAMF Pepper Potts, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Doctor Stephen Strange - Freeform, Gen, Hurt Tony Stark, Nick Fury is Not Amused, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Not Canon Compliant, Obadiah Stane is a Horrible Person, Other, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Has a Family, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Phil Coulson Needs a Hug, Protective May Parker (Spider-Man), The Tesseract (Marvel), Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark has a family, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28065552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violetsaber525/pseuds/Violetsaber525
Summary: When Tony goes missing in the Afghanistan desert, JARVIS takes the initiative to take steps to protect and assist his family the best way he knows how. Maggie ends up helping May and Pepper care for Peter and misses her French baking classes, Doctor Strange get's a rare opportunity, and Stane plots for SI domination.
Relationships: Happy Hogan & Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Happy Hogan & Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker & Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Original Female Character(s), Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark & Stephen Strange
Series: How Getting Caught up with the Starks Fixed the Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040386
Comments: 30
Kudos: 94





	1. Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The War is Far From Over Now](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10799406) by [Dont_call_me_Carrie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dont_call_me_Carrie/pseuds/Dont_call_me_Carrie). 



> Hey! It's Iron Man time! Some changes to cannon (as if you hadn't noticed already) and to warn you It'll get worse (fun) as we go.

The crackle of logs and the wave of the flames in the small fireplace hypnotized her from her spot on the woven rug by the hearth. A shuffle from behind her and a throat clearing broke her concentration and brought her back to the present, “You are not controlling them as I showed you. You’ve been sitting here for two cycles and you still have little control over the flames. Your mother was much further than this, perhaps it is because we are here that your powers are not developing like they were supposed to.” A sigh and the creak of the chair as it settled with the weight of its bearer, “Perhaps we should have never left, but the stones need their wielder and you would have been dead before you would have lived. We will do this again,” was the reluctant and disappointed voice, “Deep breaths from your center. Find your seiðr. You control it, it does not control you. Now reach for the flames and feel the heat-.”

Maggie woke up gasping for air as she sat up and tried to focus on the room. It almost felt like the bed was rocking. “JARVIS?!”

“Yes, Miss?” the calm British reply of the AI bringing her back to the moment, the dream just out of her grasp. All she could remember was warmth and maybe a fire, “are you ok Miss?”

Realizing she had paused for probably several minutes grasping at the memory of the dream she shook her head, “I’m sorry JARVIS, I had a crazy dream and now I can’t remember what it was. Was the bed floating, or was that just my crazy imagination?”

“I’m sorry Miss, but there are no cameras in the bedrooms so I am unable to verify that for you.”

“Duh, sorry, sometimes I forget that you are not all-knowing, JARVIS. With the amount you help us out, it’s instinctual to assume you have all the answers. And what happened to Maggie?”

“I never claimed to be omnipotent, Miss, and if I called you by your given name I would have to call Sir by his. I refuse to yield on that,” was JARVIS’s stubborn reply.

Maggie chuckled and lay back down, clutching one of the feather pillows to herself for comfort, “Did Tony get back from Las Vegas yet? I texted him the correct time for the award ceremony that Rhodey sent me, it looked like Mr. Stane gave him the wrong one. What is with that man? In the last few months, he’s been calling me the ‘interfering Nanny’ and telling me to ‘mind my own business and look after the child.’ Maybe I should practice my new taser batons on him,” she vented to JARVIS, “He’s just **_so_** creepy, I don’t understand how Tony can’t see it. Pepper says she just avoids him as much as possible and told me to do the same.”

“I’m sorry he’s been bothering you, Miss, I can say something to Sir,” JARVIS tried to reassure her, “Sir arrived about four hours ago and retired straight to bed. He told me to wake everyone at 7 am for his flight with Colonel Rhodes so he can say goodbye to Master Peter.”

“He’ll only say that it’s Obie being Obie. If only he did it here where you could record him,” Maggie lamented, “What time is it now JARVIS?

“It is 6 am, Miss.”

“Ugh, I’m just going to get up now. It's Pepper’s birthday today so it would be nice to make everyone pancakes for breakfast.” Maggie stretched and got up and dressed. She braided her hair as she made her way down the stairs into the kitchen. Just as she started pulling out a mixing bowl, the perimeter alarms beeped twice and a live video feed of the front of the house popped up on the kitchen TV. Peering at the TV, she noticed Happy getting out of the car.

“JARVIS, can you let Happy in?” she asked as she started to measure out flour.

Tony had upgraded the security on the mansion after Peter’s kidnapping a few months ago, adding more cameras for JARVIS to be able to monitor the perimeter and individual codes for each person to be able to enter the house. Peter now had trackers in all his shoes and another was in a bracelet that he wore on his wrist disguised as a medical alert bracelet that he wore for a bee venom allergy. Tony also designed taser batons for Maggie that looked like flashlights until they were fully extended _. “Maybe this time you can get to Peter faster if all you have to do is shock them instead of beating them into submission,”_ Tony had said as he watched her twirl and practice with her new toys for the first time, _“But I’m still sending out two bodyguards with you two from now on even with the upgrades. Pepper is redesigning some of your clothes with hidden pockets in them. She seemed a little too excited about that, maybe she needs a taser too,”_ He had joked.

“Hey kid,” Happy greeted as he made his way into the kitchen, “Whatcha making?”

“Pancakes, it’s Pepper’s birthday and with the early morning start Peter is going to need a filling meal or he’ll be hungry long before lunch,” she started pulling out the griddle and preheating it over the gas range. “Pepper is allergic to strawberries, right?”

“Yes she is,” came the reply from the woman herself.

“When did you get here!? Happy Birthday, Pepper! You’re 22 today, right?” Maggie teased as she tossed blueberries in the batter and gently folded them in.

“I rode with Happy, he picked me up on the way over. I need to go over a few things with Tony before we shuffle him off with the Colonel. Speak of the devil-,” she said as she looked over Maggie’s shoulder. “Oh and how did you know I was turning 22?” she winked at her.

“Leonardo de Espresso has coffee ready for you,” JARVIS spoke to the room, “Master Peter is also awake.”

“Oh thank god,” Tony mumbled as he shuffled to the coffee machine. “Mags-?”

“I’m making pancakes, Tony, It’s Pepper’s birthday. Go get Peter up since he won’t see you for three days and it would be nice to spend some time with him before you leave,” Maggie prompted her boss as she started pouring measured batter on the greased griddle.

Tony started gulping coffee as he shuffled zombie-like back towards his and Peter’s bedrooms. “Sometimes I think he’s worse than me,” Maggie muttered as she watched the batter and sipped her coffee she had poured after Tony had shuffled off.

“I’m not so sure about that, Miss,” JARVIS teased.

The three of them laughed at the AI and they started discussing the next few days and how they were going to manage without Tony. About ten minutes later the two sleepy Starks wandered back in and Maggie placed breakfast in front of Peter and Pepper.

“Hey, what about me?” Tony complained.

“Peter is a growing boy and its Pepper’s birthday, wait your turn,” Maggie chided and Tony just slurped his coffee in protest.

The morning went smoothly. They all ate breakfast and then Pepper and Tony went with Peter down to the workshop to finalize some SI things while Peter played in his ‘safe corner’ with DUM-E. Happy gathered up Tony’s bags and packed the car while Maggie cleaned up the kitchen. By 8 am Tony was saying a tearful goodbye to Peter (Tony would deny it but his eyes were moist) before racing Happy to the airport.

“Children, we literally wrangle children Maggie,” Pepper observed the two speed off before she got into the car with Sofia, who had come a few minutes ago to pick up the PA. Before she closed the car door Pepper leaned out, “I know you’ll be fine, and Happy is checking up on you and Peter, but please call me if you need anything.”

Maggie nodded at her, “of course Pepper. Happy Birthday and have fun tonight!” she said before she closed the door for her. Waving her off, she went back into the house to get Peter ready for school. 

*************

Three days passed and Tony ended up missing and the three of them got the call from Rhodey, _“There was an ambush, and Tony was taken, I don’t know where he is, but I’m going to find him!”_

Things had been ok for about two weeks before Obadiah had tried to get Peter taken and put in a boarding school, but May and Ben had stepped up and claimed family rights. May took a leave of absence from the hospital and moved into the mansion while Ben stayed in Queens and flew back and forth on his days off. Two more months passed.

After Tony had gone missing and then Obadiah tried to take Peter away, everyone became extremely overprotective. Maggie and May switched off taking Peter to school and Happy and Joel (the second guard that Tony had for when Happy was unavailable) were always close by the boy. Maggie amped up her training and added some other martial arts to her repertoire and JARVIS seemed to screen everyone who came near Peter. Pepper received daily updates and way too much invasive personal information from the AI, who was showing some Skynet tendencies. Tony would be so proud! Pepper was just hoping that JARVIS remembered her when he went Judgment Day.

Maggie had been scheduled to leave a month ago, but she had canceled and decided to stay. _“I’ll re-enroll when Tony gets back,”_ she had said, _“I can’t leave Peter, he needs me.”_ And that had been that.

Pepper just tried to keep things going at SI. She subtly took over the CEO responsibilities and tried to keep everything running as smoothly as she could by managing the departments and keeping Obadiah distracted by negotiating contracts in DC. If he wasn’t at headquarters he couldn’t interfere with her directing the company.

So when three months came and went, Obadiah came back to SI headquarters and Pepper tried to not panic. He bulldozed over several things that she had set up, such as the production of the solar panels that Tony had designed and the taser batons, _“Why do we need any of those? They won’t make SI money!”_ Had been his justification.

Thank the heavens that when Rhodey called with his weekly update later that day, he had good news. _“We found him about two hours ago! He’s dehydrated and beat up, but he’s alive!”_ Pepper hung up the phone and gently laid her head on her desk, and cried for several minutes in relief.

*************

Tony was exhausted.

No, he was beyond that.

He felt like he had nothing left but the drive to see Peter, it kept him trudging through the endless sea of barren sand. He needed his son and he couldn’t leave him alone in the world that would only try and consume him because he was a Stark. So when the sound of the helicopter roared over the whistling of the sand, he thought that he had finally met his dehydrated bleeding end. Rhodey grasping him and joking about the freaking Fun-vee finally pulled him back to the world and all he could do was grasp his best friend and cry in relief.

The ride to the Airforce Base was a blur and he didn’t remember Rhodey helping him to a tent to get cleaned up, “come on man, I can’t let Peter see you like this. I need you to look semi-ok so he doesn’t freak out any more than he already has,” His son’s name pulling him out of his semi-comatose like state.

“Peter? He’s ok?” He managed to get out between Rhodey helping him out of his clothes and wiping the dirt off of him.

“Yeah Team Peter had it handled, you left the best possible people to take care of that kid,” Rhodey said as he stared at the arc reactor. “What happened, Tones? What is that?”

Realizing he was down to just pants and hadn’t even noticed he tried to focus on answering his best friend’s question, “I had my eyes opened.” He paused and took as deep of a breath as he could manage with the arc reactor now restricting his lungs, “It’s a miniaturized arc reactor, like the one at home that Howard made.”

“Why is it in you, Tones? That can’t be healthy,” Rhodey bluntly stated.

“It’s keeping the shrapnel from entering my heart,” Tony paused, “but it’s the best I could do in a fucking cave!” The anger sneaking out and driving up his adrenalin, “I just want to go home and see Peter. When can we get out of this shit-hole and go home!?”

“They’re fueling the plane and we’re heading out within the hour,” Rhodey calmly said as he completed cleaning up his best friend and started helping him into the spare suit Tony had packed three months ago, “Can you handle the pants, or do you need help with that too,” he said as he finished the last button of the shirt.

“I got it,” Tony said as he sighed, “I’m sorry Rhodey-Bear, I’m just so tired and I want Peter.”

“It’s ok, Tones. Can I hug you?”

Not saying anything, Tony stood up and hugged his friend, “I’m so glad you found me,” he whispered into Rhodey’s neck. “Thank you for always being there for me and Pete.”

“Always. You’re my family, I’ll not be there.”

*************

Pepper got the call from Rhodey right before the plane took off, “ _we’re wheels up in 10, so we’ll see you around 1500 tomorrow. You need to make sure Peter is there, it’s all he can talk about. Tony is not in great shape and I’m suspecting PTSD on top of everything. It’s not good Pepper…,” he had trailed off, “I can’t say much over the phone, but you’ll see when we land.”_ Pepper was just relieved he was safe and coming home. She sent an email to JARVIS to see if he had any ideas for a therapist that would be discreet and familiar with PTSD, trusting JARVIS’ Skynet ‘mentality’ to find the best option for them. 

It was amazing how much JARVIS had become his own ‘person’ and she suspected that he had expanded past his servers and was integrated into SI’s as well. It was the small things, such as ease of access that had normally required Tony’s authorization beforehand, doors requiring her key opened for her as she approached but not for others, the lights adjusting automatically as the day went on, and the list went on.

So last month when she had muttered a question out loud in Tony’s office on reflex and JARVIS responded, she had finally broken down and asked the AI point-blank, _“JARVIS have you taken over SI without anyone finding out?”_ and he had responded with _“Of course Ms. Potts.”_ She just shook her head and told herself that it was Tony’s problem and she would have him deal with it when he got back.

Gathering up the rest of her belongings, she went over to Tony’s office to make sure she didn’t leave any of her personal items behind since she had been working from his office for the last two and half months. Finding a random hair tie but nothing else, she closed down the computer, and left for the mansion and to break the news to Peter.

Sofia dropped her off at the front door after an hour's drive from SI and a quick stop for pizza on the way. She had texted Maggie, May, and Happy after the call from Rhodey and they had said they would be at the mansion when she got done with work so they could tell Peter together. He had had a hard time of the whole situation but with May moving in and him staying at home, they had tried to keep him to a routine as much as possible. But with school being out last month, the last few weeks had been the hardest. Ben had suggested that they come to Queens and stay for a little bit to get away, but Happy and Maggie had argued against that because it would have been harder to protect Peter. So Maggie and May had created a schedule around activities at home and they did the best they could. Tony was going to ‘love’ the mural that had been painted in the entryway, Monday had been painting day and Peter had painted the whole wall full of wildlife and plants.

JARVIS opened the front door as she approached and she made her way to the kitchen to set down her stack of pizzas so she could kick off her heels, “I have pizza!” she shouted, “and I’m going to eat it all!”

“No, Pepper!” Peter came sliding around the corner on his stockinged feet, “did you get the BBQ chicken with pineapple?”

“Of course I did, it’s your favorite,” Pepper assured him as she shuffled the boxes till she found it, “wash up and we’ll sit down at the table. I have some good news!” He ran off and May passed him with Maggie behind her.

“I’m so relieved,” May said as she pulled plates out of the cabinet and grabbed forks. Maggie picked up the pizzas and they walked over to the dining table, “I don’t know how we could have told him if Rhodey had not found him.”

Pepper and Maggie both nodded in agreement as they settled down and waited for Peter, “Is Happy coming? I thought he said he’d be here,” Pepper asked as she looked towards the doorway.

“He’s running late, he went to pick up a few things for Tony,” Maggie replied, “He sent a list through Rhodey and said he needed them as soon as he got home. There are some interesting things on there-“ she trailed off as Peter skidded into the dining room.

“What’s the good news?” He asked as he scrambled up onto his chair and made grabby hands for pizza.

“Uncle Rhodey found your dad and they’ll be home tomorrow afternoon around 3,” Pepper told him as she placed the pizza on his plate, “you should bring your Saturday scrapbook to show him.” Saturday had been scrapbook day where he drew and put in pictures of things that they had done that week.

“Really? Daddy is coming home? No lies?” He looked almost angry before his eyes swam in tears and he looked at each of his aunts, “Promise?”

“We promise, Peter,” Maggie assured him as she got up and hugged him and Pepper and May nodded, “we would never lie about something like that. You can even ask JARVIS if you don’t believe us.”

“He’s coming home Master Peter,” JARVIS spoke up and Peter cried in relief.

**************

The next day Happy loaded the three ladies and Peter in the Bentley and had Sofia meet them at the airport so she could take Peter, Maggie and May back home after Tony landed and saw Peter. The atmosphere in the car was the lightest it had been in three months and the ladies were happily discussing with Peter what he would tell Tony about first. “You need to let him see the entryway, it’ll be the best surprise,” May said from the front seat, “I think you should tell him about the flowers we grew by the pool.”

Peter nodded and clutched the scrapbook to his chest, “What about cookie Wednesday? We have to make bacon sugar cookies again so Daddy can try them!”

“I was thinking about crafting Tuesday and those beautiful potholders you made me and DUM-E,” Maggie chimed in as she read the text on her phone that JARVIS had sent to her. Looking over at Pepper she realized that she had received the same text. 

**_It is imperative that you take Sir home immediately, I have found some disturbing evidence of SI double-dealing._**

****


	2. Logic, Tantrums, and Strange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JARVIS explores, Pepper is a BAMF, Obie is PISSED, Peter does some cool art/ art projects, and Strange is consulted. (Maggie always needs more coffee.)

After Peter had been kidnapped JARVIS was expanded from his private network in the Malibu mansion and given full access to the internet and ‘permission’ to go exploring. “Just stay under the radar, J,” Sir had warned, _“If you had been connected and tracing all of Peter’s movements we would have found him and Maggie faster. Plus this will give you access to track threats to our family, Maggie said that she felt like something is coming and she’s somehow always right about her feelings.”_

So JARVIS integrated himself into Stark Industries’ entire network in a month and then started to branch out from there. He started small, poking at CIA, FBI, and most recently SHIELD and before sneaking out he planted back doors into each of their systems. He was a learning AI and he wanted to learn everything he could to protect first Master Peter, then Sir and the rest of Sir’s family, but he needed more processing power.

So Sir bought a server farm from a defunct Silicon Valley business and JARVIS made himself at home but expected he’d need expanding again in about two years. Informing Sir of this, Sir had just nodded and said he had already had plans in the works to integrate the AI in the tower and he would just expand from two subbasement floors to three so they had more room to expand. _“We’ll have to figure out backup systems for you J,”_ Sir had said after seeing how JARVIS was expanding his reach and discreetly assisting Ms. Potts with her work. “ _Hmmm, maybe we can renovate some of the properties to include a place for you to back up on a rotating schedule.”_

But that had been the week before Sir had vanished into the Afghan desert and three months later, despite his futile efforts to find any evidence of Sir’s whereabouts, it had been Colonel Rhodes who had found his creator. But JARVIS had had three months of searching SI’s records and slipping his way into FBI, CIA, and SHIELDS’ mainframes looking for clues.

What he found surprised him. While searching through the last five years of SI’s weapons invoices, he had found a pattern of several shipments that had been sent to dismantled forward operating bases. After finding the pattern, he had gone back and analyzed manifests from even further back and noticed that it had started around 1986 and then had ramped up after 1991 after the death of Sir’s parents. JARVIS organized the information and continued searching for clues on who had been behind it, but instead of finding a digital paper trail, he noticed that several documents were missing, redacted, or never entered or scanned into SI’s digital database. If JARVIS could feel emotion, he would have been frustrated, but instead, he just nudged Ms. Potts in the direction of the missing documents and the investigation and organization had been prioritized.

When Ms. Potts had confronted him about his SI integration, he had assessed the situation and decided as part of Sir’s family and behind the scenes CEO, she could be trusted to be in his confidences. He sent her emails and texts and when she had told Miss Maggie, he had expanded the Circle of Trust to include her.

Miss Maggie had always treated him as if he were a living person (without a body) and often asked for his opinion and suggestions. Such as when she had worried about Peter’s anxiety and outbursts, after Sir had gone missing, they together came with a solution to present to the ‘Aunts’ as she, Pepper, and May had been dubbed by Mr. Hogan and Colonel Rhodes. She was the one person, outside of Sir and Master Peter, who had any idea of what he had become and she was nothing but supportive with him digging for clues in the most illegal and discreet way possible. He would have made his namesake proud, for Mr. Jarvis had been an excellent spy and family butler, and JARVIS could only hope to continue that legacy.

When Sir had been found, he decided to tell Sir first about the missing weapons before Sir went back to work. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that weapons had disappeared days before The Presentation and then happened again three times since Sir’s capture.

*************

Tony was a mess and all he wanted to do was cuddle his son, eat an American cheeseburger, and have a press conference to tell the world that he refused to sell weapons anymore. But when the ‘Aunts’ (“ _really Rhodey? Is this some Roald Dahl book?”)_ had ushered him into the Bentley and told him that they would get him a cheeseburger, but they were either quote: ‘ _going home or the hospital, your choice, no press conferences until you recover at least a full day, so help me god Tony!’_ , he was not happy. Showing him the text from JARVIS did make him pause, so he grabbed Maggie’s phone from her hand and called JARVIS’s direct line.

“J, what is going on? The women have corralled me and convinced Happy to take me hostage, due to you sending them that text,” he groused into the phone.

“I apologize, Sir, but I need you to know all the facts before you go off on a rampage. Discretion is a must in this situation, especially since evidence points to one of the Board Members being the culprit.”

“Fine. The Aunts and you win, but we are discussing your liberal use of the ladies in my family for my ‘wellbeing’. “

“That is a very fair trade, Sir. I’m sure Master Peter would agree with that assessment and would like to join in on that discussion,” the AI teased his creator before ending the call.

Tony looked down at his son who was tucked into his side and Pepper who was on Peter’s other side, he realized that he was finally home. He calmed his quickening breaths, since it was putting a strain on his already constricted and stressed lungs, and kissed his son's curls. Breathing in the scent of the coconut shampoo Peter used, “I love you, son. I missed you so much.”

“I love you too, Daddy. I missed you lots too. Here!” And a scrapbook was pushed into Tony’s hands.

“What’s this?”

“A scrapbook! Me and the Aunts made it so you could see what we did when you were gone.”

“Oh.” He clutched it, trying to ground himself, “why don’t we look at it when we get home so you can tell me everything, ok? I think your Aunt May is trying to feed us.”

Peter looked up at him and smiled, “Ok, Daddy! I can’t wait to show you the big painting I did! Can I have a cheeseburger and fries?”

“Of course buddy,” he said as he smiled at his son’s excitement as they pulled up to the order speaker and Happy placed their order.

The ride home was quiet as he and Peter ate their burgers, Pepper typed on her phone with a furrow between her brows, “What’s going on over there Potts?”

“Obadiah keeps asking me where you are and when he can come to see you. I keep telling him that you are going to rest the next few days and then hold a press conference, but he keeps insisting on later today. He’s being a bit belligerent and to be honest I’m surprised that he can text me this fast,” she trailed off as she scowled down at her phone and hissed. “Screw this-“she trailed off and lifted the phone to her ear.

“Susan, I need you to reel in Obadiah.” She paused, “I know you are not his wife and that you have no control over his impulses, but I need you to make sure he keeps doing his job.” She paused again for a minute and an angry voice rose louder on the other end, “I don’t care, Susan, you’re his PA! It’s your job to organize his schedule and keep him on track! Tell him that Tony has to go see his personal physician before he can be cleared to return to work and I’m unreachable! What about telling him about R&D's new testing lab that needs to be inspected and cleared before it can be used! As the CFO he needs to sign off on the completion, since it was over $2 million, and we can’t use it until he signs off.” She grew red in the face,” It’s his rule! Just tell him about the sign-off and make sure to inform him the deadline is tomorrow. If he argues, point out that it was his rule and that you are just following said rule. If he still gives you a problem, then text me and we’ll figure something else out-“Pepper clenched her teeth, “Thank you, Susan. You’ve been a big help,” she said insincerely as she ended the call. “Sometimes I think that woman is worse than Stane,” she said as she sighed. She put her hands up and made as to strangle someone, before she huffed, laughed, and set her hands in her lap, “Maggie is rubbing off on me-“ she muttered.

Tony couldn’t help but laugh, it hurt but it felt good, especially since May and even Happy seemed to find the whole situation hilarious as well. After everyone calmed down, he had to ask. “Who’s the personal physician? I don’t recall having one?”

“Doctor Strange, or as Maggie calls him, DR A-hole,” she paraphrased for the small ears in the car, “he agreed to come and examine you, and we had hoped since you were familiar with him due to working on some R&D medical testing with him, that it would be ok. I know you don’t want to go to the hospital but for Peter’s sake, please consider this. You know logically that long term side effects can be avoided if caught early,” she argued.

Looking her in the eyes, he knew that this wasn’t Pepper talking, “Maggie told you to say that, didn’t she? That’s all her, right there, logic and sense. That’s how she wears you down to do her bidding,” he stated, “all logic that girl.”

“Agreed,” May quipped from the front, “When we argued to take Peter to New York, she brought up safety and protection and used her logic. She talked me into taking a leave of absence and arranged for Ben to fly out when he could get time off. She even got Happy to stay at the house, I still haven’t figured out how she did that,” she said as she turned to the Driver/ Bodyguard.

“She used Pete against me, which was a low blow, but I told her only until Tony was back and not a day more,” Happy grumbled, “So I’m heading home tonight.”

Tony shook his head at how close these people had gotten and Pepper took no shit from Obie’s PA, which amazed him since Susan listened to no one, not even Obie half the time.

“Wait, not that I’m agreeing to see Strange, but how did you get him to fly to California to make a house call?” Tony started to panic a little.

“Lots of money and a promise of future tech testing,” Maggie said as she pulled open his door, “He said he’ll be here later tonight, so please let him see you, not for yourself but for Peter.” She watched as Peter got out on Pepper’s side and lowered her voice, “If you get sick because of something that could have been prevented by seeing a doctor and Peter sees that, his anxiety and his panic attacks will get worse. I know you don’t want that,” she stared him down, this woman who was barely in her twenties, giving him a ‘come to Jesus’ speech. “Please don’t do that to him, or us, we care about you both and we don’t want to see you two hurting. Strange says he’ll sign anything and everything and I trust him. He was an ass when I had him, but he was discreet and despite being a brain surgeon he scored top of his class in everything. JARVIS checked him out for us,” she assured him.

He looked at her and saw the sincerity in her eyes and he forced himself to calm down. Not letting a trusted doctor check him over after all the abuse his body went through (don’t think about it!) would be stupid. And she was right. It wasn’t just the huge hole and cave surgery he had to worry about, he’d have to research the Palladium and the long term effects of that too. Perhaps Strange would be a good person to help with that, “Well, if JARVIS says he’s ok, then I’ll let Strange poke at me. BUT I want to do it in my lab away from Peter and I can walk away from it at any time.”

Sighing Maggie hooked her arm through his good one and followed Peter and Pepper into the house, “Fine. But I will put Peter at the top of the stairs with his Bambi eyes to deter you from not finishing.” He huffed at her and they stepped into the entryway. “Please don’t be mad at the painting, Peter worked very hard on it and I’ll cut it out and re-drywall if you want the house back to normal.” She warned him as they made their way into the house.

Looking at the entryway he saw the mural that Peter had painted and he stood there frozen for a second, it was several feet of childish animals and fauna. “It’s amazing, Pete!” He praised. It’s not like Peter hadn’t drawn on the walls before, but he knew that Obie would say something as soon as he saw it and would hurt Peter’s feelings. “Maggie said that she could cut it out and frame it, how does that sound? We could then have it in the Tower when it’s done as part of the art museum featuring Nona Maria’s collection.”

Peter leaned in to his father and chewed on his fingers as he thought, “right next to the lily pads?” referring to a Monet that was in a picture of Maria and Howard that Peter had in his room. The painting was currently packed away in a secure storage facility and Peter had always wanted to see the painting in person, so Tony had agreed that he could pick the paintings for each rotation and that one was first on the list.

“Of course, bud. She would have loved to have an original Peter Creation and definitely would have hung it in the parlor next to the Lilies so everyone could see it when they came to visit,” he assured his son. Plus knowing his mother she would have done it, too, she would have loved and adored Peter.

Peter nodded his head and looked up at Maggie, “It’s going to be a huge painting!” he observed, “How are we going to get it through the door?”

“We’ll do sections so you can rearrange the animals if you want,” she told him, “I’ll have to show you a collection of paintings done this way, so you get an idea. Or we could do a room divider so it would be free-standing, like that Japanese screen we saw at the museum two weeks ago.”

He widened his eyes and lighted up with excitement, “Can we do the screen thing?”

“We can try with just plain drywall to see how it holds up and then if it works, then we’ll do your painting, how does that sound? If it works out, you can paint the blank one too, so we’ll have one here and one at the tower.”

Tony saw how excited his kid was at making furniture art and shook his head. Howard would never have allowed him as a child to do anything artistic. _But I’m **not** Howard_, Tony told himself for the millionth time, _Peter deserves every chance and opportunity and the chance to enjoy his childhood_.

A wave of exhaustion passed over him and he realized, that not counting the brief time he had slept leaned against Rhodey on the plane, he hadn’t slept in about 48 hours. “If Doc A-hole is coming for a house call, I need a nap. What do you think, Pete? Wanna take a nap with the old man?” Hoping that he could listen to his son’s familiar breathing and be able to sleep a little easier.

Peter nodded and reached for his father’s hand and started leading towards their rooms, “JARVIS, could you wake me up when Strange gets here?”

“Of course, Sir.”

“Night everyone!” Tony said as he followed his kid up the stairs to his bedroom, he could hear his pillow calling him already.

**********************

Obadiah Stane was beyond livid. His fingers tingled, his heart rate shot up and his vision tunneled while he screamed at the woman in front of him, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE NEEDS TO BE CLEARED BY A FUCKING DOCTOR?! WASN’T THAT DONE BEFORE THE PLANE RIDE? TELL THAT FUCKING BIMBO THAT I WANT TONY TO CALL ME IMMEDIATELY,” he threw his drink across the room, glass shattering against the marble flooring in front of the bar. “GET OUT OF HERE AND GO CALL HER! DO YOU NEED FUCKING PERMISSION TO DO YOUR JOB?” She scurried out as fast as she could in her heels, fear, and tears streaking across her face.

When HYDRA had failed to kill the brat and the Interfering Nanny, he had been pissed. After the failure of the Ten Rings, he was beyond that. The millions he had wasted investing in HYDRA and now the Ten Rings, he had to get rid of Tony as soon as possible. If he kept the brat alive a little longer, he would have control over the business again for at least ten more years before there would even be a chance of the brat interfering.

But he had a feeling that his luck would run out soon. Potts had been rifling through the invoices looking at past weapons shipping manifests and he had a feeling that Tony’s computer butler was worming its way into the SI systems. His computer has crashed more times in the last month than he’s ever experienced before and it was a brand new computer.

So here he was, at an impasse. He could lay low for about six months and see what Tony made to make SI some money before he ‘had an accident’ and hope that he had covered his tracks well enough to avoid detection. Or he could just get rid of him now and blame PTSD and have HYDRA make it look like a suicide. Or maybe he could nudge the blame onto one of the board members (fucking Peterson with his interfering bucktooth wife)- But he had to come up with something sooner rather than later.

He strode over to the bar and poured himself a fresh drink and took out his cigar and lit it. While he took sips of bourbon and puffed heavily, creating a haze throughout the room, he made the decision. He’ll wait and see how the wind blew and then make his decision then.

_Maybe I’ll get lucky_ , he thought as he threw back the bourbon.

***********

Strange still couldn’t believe he agreed to fly from New York to Malibu to act like a country doctor and do a house call for Tony Stark. But the projects that Stark had roped him into, would redefine the medical field and Strange always looked to put himself at the top. The promise of being on the front lines of testing new innovative devices and tools was bribery enough, it was just a bonus on how Stark could keep up with his snark, intelligence and was not offended by his gruffness. They had formed some sort of ‘friendship’ if you could call it that, or mutual respect, and from what he knew of the man, he knew that Stark wouldn’t trust just any doctor to examine him.

When Maggie had called him and requested that he do them a favor, he had said yes. She wasn’t as brilliant as Stark, but she could hold her own. She had no problem snarking back at him and telling him off when he was being an ass. “I’m sorry Doc, but you’re now the Snarky Stark Family Doctor, so you have to come out. You know he won’t see anyone else and I don’t want him to get sick because he needed a tetanus shot or something. Rhodey said there was something major that was done to him and he said he’s worried that it might kill him.”

So here he was, flying first class, on his way to make a house call.

He arrived late, probably around 7 pm local time, when Happy met him with a car to take him to the house. When he arrived, Maggie met him at the door, “Hey doc, we really appreciate you coming. Can I offer you anything to drink or eat?”

“No, I’m fine. Where’s the patient?” Ready to get done so he could head back as soon as possible.

“He’s sleeping. Rhodey said he hadn’t slept in at least 48 hours and I was wondering if you would mind staying the night and examining him in the morning.”

Stephen sighed, this is not how he had hoped this would go, but he knew that the man probably would be in a better mood after a full night’s rest, so he nodded and gestured for Maggie to show him a room. “I want him up before 9 am so I can head back to New York as soon as possible. I had to reschedule a surgery for this.”

“I understand, Doc.” Maggie soothed, “But he needed the sleep and time with Peter. But I’ll ask JARVIS to wake him up around 8:30 if that’s ok.”

“Yes, that’s fine.” Looking around he noticed the childish painting on the wall and the scattering of toys among the modern design of the house. It felt like a home and well-lived in. The mingling of the wealth and love of a child made his heart pang a little, but he brushed it off. He and Christine were on another ‘break’ and both of them never considered having a child, they both had demanding careers, he lied to himself.

She led him to a well-appointed guest room with an ensuite and bid him goodnight, “If you need anything, just ask JARVIS. He’s the house’s interface and will be happy to help.”

“Hello, Doctor,” JARVIS greeted, “Miss Maggie can also be reached through me if I am unable to assist you.”

“Thanks, JARVIS,” she smiled and closed the door behind her as she left the room.

Of course Stark had a home interface.

**************

Tony woke the next day after having slept for at least 14 hours. He was surprised that he hadn’t been woken by Peter kicking in his sleep or a nightmare, but perhaps he had been too exhausted to notice the former and register the latter. JARVIS woke him around 7 am with the promise of coffee and pancakes, so he rolled out of bed without disturbing his son, who was imitating a starfish, showered, and headed down to the kitchen. He found a place set at the table with his favorite mug, a covered plate, and a carafe of fresh coffee.

“You’re a goddess, Mags. I haven’t had real coffee in three months,” he said as he poured.

Maggie came over and sat next to him with her coffee and a plate of pancakes. She poured syrup on hers and then slid it over to him, “Well, no one can compete with Leonardo. The Doc came in last night. He said he’ll see you after you eat.”

“Where’s he at?” Tony asked as he ate a bite of his pancakes and looked around for the tall doctor, “I’m surprised he isn’t here eating some of these pancakes and stealing our coffee.”

“I think he went outside for some fresh air or something, so you have some time to chug that coffee and sneak three more before he comes back,” she teased.

“Good. He better not limit my coffee intake, or there will be a revolution.”

Maggie laughed and then sobered, “Your little boy was so worried and sad. For the first few weeks, I worried that I would never see that joyful little face again,” she looked close to tears, “I’m so happy you’re home, Tony. I don’t know what I would do if I lost more family.”

There was silence as they both looked down at their plates, “I’m glad he had all of you to watch out for him while I was away. Rhodey said Obie tried to put Pete in a boarding school and he said due to you and Pepper’s quick thinking you were able to get May and Ben to step in. He wouldn’t have been ok if that happened, he needs his hugs and love and that school would have driven that from him. I know it did that to me-,” he trailed off. His mother had fought for him to stay home, but Howard was the Man of the House and Maria had no choice. He vowed when he found Peter that his son would never be separated from his family, so he now had to make sure that Obie could get that chance again.

Tony put his fork down and picked up Maggie’s hand, “you’re like the little sister I never had and you care for Pete as much if not more so than May does. I’d like to make sure that if something like this happens again, that you, May, and Pepper can always be a part of his life. If that’s ok, with you-“ Tony trailed off, suddenly unsure if he had overstepped. He was her boss, but she had long stopped treating him so and treated him like an annoying older brother. Almost how he treated Rhodey, now that he thought about it, “I can’t believe you skipped school to do this, “he smiled at her, “You’ll get put in with all the other foreigners that can’t bake. You know how snooty the French can be,” he winked.

“Yeah, well who else was going to make sure Pete didn’t puppy eye Happy into taking him to help Uncle Rhodey search for his Daddy. Pepper was too busy doing your job for you, like always. When are you going to just give her that job so that you can play in your lab all day?”

He gapped at her. Surprise and mouth wide open.

“What?” she looked almost shocked as she pulled her hand out of his grasp and pushed his jaw back up.

“That’s brilliant!” He suddenly shouted, “JARVIS, where is Pep?”

“Ms. Potts is on her way here with Mr. Hogan. I believe she will arrive in about 10 minutes if I calculated morning traffic, Mr. Hogan’s driving, and the weather correctly.”

“I need to ask the lawyers, but that should be easily done-“Tony continued to mumble as he distractedly ate the rest of his pancakes and guzzled his carafe of coffee while occasionally telling JARVIS to make notes.

**********

Maggie shook her head, finished her breakfast, collected both their plates, and went to hide in the kitchen while she guzzled her iced coffee. When Tony got going there was no talking to him until he worked out whatever he was stuck on. As she finished cleaning up and setting the rest of the pancakes in the food warming drawer, she went to wake up Peter. Not finding him in his room but finding him in Tony’s she sat next to the boy and ran her hand through his hair.

“Come on bud, you need to get up, I made pancakes.

“Maggie-“Peter mumbled as he blinked at her, “I had a dream that Daddy came home.” He started crying and crawled into her lap.

She pulled him close and cuddle him, “JARVIS, please tell Tony I need him.”

“Of course, Miss. He’s on his way.”

Seconds later Tony rushed into the room and sat in front of Maggie and pulled Peter into his arms. Maggie got up and let him take care of Peter, while she made her way downstairs again to look for the Doctor.

Turning the corner, she almost ran right into him, “Oh, Doc you’re back! Tony’s upstairs with Peter and should be down soon.”

Hearing the door open, she turned seeing Happy, “Did you tell Boss that I got all the stuff he wanted?” Happy asked as he held the door for Pepper.

“No, I didn’t get a chance. We were eating when he got distracted and then he had to go take care of Peter. Pete thought he dreamed that Tony came home,” she blinked back tears. Peter was going to have a bit of an adjustment to Tony being home again.

“Oh,” Happy looked surprised, “I thought for sure he’d be down in his lab last night already.”

“No, Peter and Tony went to take a nap around seven and JARVIS said they slept the whole night through. I thought for sure that Pete would wake me up for something to eat-“

“MAGGIE! Daddy said there are pancakes!” Peter’s voice echoing off the glass and concrete of the modern house.

“PETER! They are in the warming drawer!” Maggie shouted back, laughing.

Everyone turned and watched as he trotted down the stairs and disappeared into the kitchen. The noise of the drawer opening and then slamming shut made her shake her head, “I swear if I have to fix those glides on that drawer, one more time-.” She grumbled. Tony come down the stairs at a slower pace, he was holding his arm close to his chest and while grasping the railing for balance as he came down.

“I shouldn’t have run up the stairs,” he muttered as he approached the group, “Hey Doc, here to take my blood and soul?”

Strange rolled his eyes and deadpanned, “no, your soul is gone, I'm just here for the blood.”

Tony laughed as he gestured with his head towards the elevator, “Come on and let’s get this over with.”

*************

Strange examined Tony and they discussed the reactor and the possible long term effects of it. They agreed to set up a later date to do some exams at a discreet private clinic after Tony updated the reactor and created a spare to test.

“Happy went out and sourced the materials, I just have to make it,” Tony told Strange as he pulled his shirt back on over the reactor. “I’ll get one done right away since the current night light is on its way out. I want to see if I can improve upon the design and tweak it for some better output but I need to examine the one at SI before I can even start on the first one. “

“You know that this can’t be permanent, right? It’s constricting your lungs, heart, and esophagus and that’s just the major organs. So until we get at least a CT scan of your upper body, DON’T OVERDO IT!”

Strange stressed as he made eye contact with Tony, “You are missing parts of your sternum and ribs and I have no idea how much structural weakness there is because of that.”

“Fine, Doctor Asshole, I’ll take it easy till you can x-ray vision me and poke me for science. I want credit on whatever papers you end up publishing on the sly.”

“Of course Doctor Duchebag, I always credit where credit is due,” came Strange’s rejoinder, “even **_I’m_** not that much of an asshole. But DON’T do any activities that require pushing, pulling, or stretching, or lifting anything over 10lbs. I want you in my office as soon as possible.”

“Fine, I won’t overdo it. JARVIS, make a memo,” Tony sat down at his workbench. Noticing Pete’s things scattered across the table he fiddled with a toy dinosaur as Strange packed up his bag.

“Maggie has my number so I’m sure I’ll get a call if you do,” Strange clipped the bag closed and hefted it onto his shoulder. “I don’t trust you.”

“It’ll either be her or Pep. Those two gang up on me and Pete and we never get to do what we want.”

“That’s not true, Sir. You both went out for ice cream in April instead of attending the art festival with Ms. Potts,” JARVIS argued.

“And will you tell the kind Doctor what the consequences were J?”

“Miss Maggie replaced your coffee with half calf and Pepper had you and Master Peter go to the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art,” JARVIS paused for a moment, “I believe you were punished accordingly.”

Strange laughed at him and headed towards the exit, “Well, I know you are in good hands. Between the ladies and JARVIS, I don’t think you could get too far off track, Doctor Stark.”

“UGH, don’t call me that Doctor Strange,” Tony whined as he followed the man out. “I’m sure J will send you plenty of updates and information as we build the new reactor. Maybe I’ll just build a CT Scanner in my lab and send you the results so I don’t have to fly to New York for poking.”

Ignoring Tony he exited the lab and went up the stairs to the living room. Coming around the waterfall he saw Maggie sitting on the floor with Peter playing a game and Happy behind them on the couch watching the TV. “Thank you for your hospitality, Maggie. The patient is now in your care,” he teased.

Maggie laughed, “Well I’ll try my best, but no promises and thank you for coming and seeing him. Pepper is on the phone in the other room, otherwise, I’m sure she’d say goodbye.”

“I’ll email you and Ms. Potts a list of things that Mr. Stark is not allowed to do,” Strange said as he turned towards the door as Happy followed behind him, “Ms. Potts will have to arrange for several scans in New York soon.”

“I’ll let her know,” Maggie stood in the doorway watching as he put his bag in the trunk next to his overnight bag. “Goodbye Doctor.” He nodded to her and got in the car to head back to the airport.

**************

After the Doc left, Tony played some games with Peter and then headed back to his lab while Peter ate lunch and took a nap. JARVIS reviewed his findings on SI and Tony knew that his press conference would have to happen now. There was no way he was going to allow someone in his company to double deal **_and_** he had to come up with a way to destroy the rest of the weapons that were still out there.

_Hmmm, maybe a Mach 2 is in order_ , Tony thought. With resources and modern technology, he could really create something spectacular! Now, how to make sure that Pep and Maggie don’t catch him...

“Oh, JARVIS-?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's been a few. It's the Holidays and it's crazy! I've been trying to post every few days but with working and trying to get gifts and food together, it's been a bit much. So I'll try and get another post in before next week and after the 25th I should be able to post a bit more since I have a small break coming up. 
> 
> I did some research (promise, I did) and I still can't figure out how the Arc Reactor was able to stay fixed in his chest without falling out. Really! It's jammed between the second and fourth ribs, I think, and part of his sternum is gone and if you look at all the squishy stuff that would have to get compressed it feels comparable to making room in the body for a baby. Just one that gives off low grade radiation and heavy metal poisoning. Hence Strange saying to Tony to not fucking do anything strenuous till we can make sure that it wont kill you/make things worse. Like WTF! Tony, how did you not fuck everything up while wacking yourself into walls without a chest plate?!
> 
> Please read this article, it's a bit mind opening: https://www.outerplaces.com/science/item/7048-how-iron-mans-stark-arc-reactor-would-work-in-real-life . 
> 
> But I felt that Strange got pulled into this and now he's like: "oh, lots of new fancy toys!? and a once in a lifetime crazy consultation?! (and scary ladies threatening me) ok!" 
> 
> Ok. I'm done for now...


	3. Strategic Manipulation and the 'Big Boy Pants' Protocal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony makes an announcement and creates a full-body prosthesis that will protect his squishies, Pepper tries to fix things, Rhodey yells, and Maggie gets a mani/Pedi and serves some decaf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the Holidays. I've been working on this in-between everything else that decided that 2020 couldn't get any worse. F*ck you 2020. I'm glad that you're done in a week. I've been working on this FOR DAYS! I'm finally at the point that I need to post and move on to the next part. 
> 
> Please enjoy this little lovely Holiday Gift.

It was about 1 am when Tony finally finished the first reactor and about 6 am when he finished the second. He must have dozed at his work station because the beep of the lab door startled him awake and the weight of his son ramming into his side finished it with the spike of adrenalin to keep from falling off the stool. “Hey, buddy, what are you up to? Where’s Maggie?”

“Maggie is still sleeping and JARVIS said you were downstairs and needed to be told to go to bed,” Peter smiled up at him, “What are you working on, Daddy?”

“Do you know that big arc reactor at the company that Grandpa built? I made a small one that will power my heart, here let me lift you up so you can see.”

Tony was about to lift Peter when JARVIS interrupted him, “Sir! Doctor Strange told you no more than 10lbs! There is a step stool next to U’s charging station and Master Peter can use that to see the tabletop.”

Peter moved off and dragged the stool over to the bench and crawled up and onto the workbench, “Well, that worked well,” Tony muttered, “So what do you think buddy? Do you think we can get Mags or Pep to help us replace the old night light with the shiny new one?”

“Why can’t I do it?” Peter looked sadly at his father, “I’m old enough and I can do it.”

“I know you could bud, but I need someone who can see over the table edge without a step stool. Maybe when you reach my shoulders, we can reconsider it,” he placated and tried not to laugh.

“Fine.”

“Hey JARVIS, let me know when Pep gets here and Maggie is available so we can swap this thing out before the press conference.”

“Of course, Sir. I will schedule in night light removal and replacement on both their schedules.”

“So much sass, J, I don’t know what I’ll do when Petey-Pie grows up and starts sassing me too. I may have to make myself a ‘safe from sass’ room to keep my sanity,” Tony joked.

“I’ll make sure to order some padding to line the walls, Sir.”

“Ugh. Pete, let’s go take a nap so I don’t look like a zombie in four hours.”

“Ok!” Peter scooted over to his stool and then with Tony’s help stepped down, “Can we have doughnuts today? Maggie said when you got back that we had to get doughnuts to celebrate.”

“Oooh, that sounds good! I’ll stop and get some on the way back from my press conference and meeting so we’ll have them for dessert tonight. How’s that sound, bud?” Tony asked as he powered down the lab and headed towards the elevator.

“Yes! I want a chocolate one with sprinkles!” Peter exclaimed as he bounced next to Tony, “please, please please!”

“J, make a note of that. Vanilla with sprinkles for Pete.”

“Ugh, Daaaddy! It’s chocolate with sprinkles.”

“Glazed?”

“Chocolate!”

“Raspberry jelly-filled?”

“Chocolate! But Maggie loves the jelly-filled, so you can get one of those for her!”

“Hmmm, I guess I better get the crueler for Happy and I know Pepper likes the glazed and Rhodey would love a chocolate sprinkle one…Maybe he’ll share with you since you said you didn’t need a doughnut,” Tony kept teasing his son as they went up the stairs to his bedroom.

“Uncle Rhodey doesn’t share, and you know that Daddy. He said he learned his lesson when you went to school together a long time ago.”

“Uncle Rhodey is a lying liar who lies. He shouldn’t have offered to share his candy. It’s not my fault I needed to eat all of it because I was a growing boy.”

“Uncle Rhodey said candy makes you grow slower and that’s why you are short because you ate too much of his candy. He said that if I ate more bananas and spinach that I’d grow big and strong like him and Uncle Happy.”

Tony couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of that comment that sounded exactly like something his best friend would say. Of course, Rhodey would use a 20-year candy grudge against him through his son, “well, maybe if you bat your puppy eyes at Uncle Rhodey and cry just a tiny bit, he’ll share his doughnut with you tonight if he comes for dinner.”

“Ok, I’ll try.”

Tony changed his clothes and crawled into bed, “Nap time for me, what about you buddy?”

“Just for a little bit, I’m hungry,” Peter said as he crawled into the bed and under the covers and lay his head next to his dad’s. Reaching out he poked the glow that came from under Tony’s shirt, “does it hurt?”

“No, buddy, it doesn’t hurt,” Tony pulled his son closer, breathing in his coconut scented hair. _Oh, it felt so good to be home. If only I could pause time right at this moment._ “Let’s nap, ok? I’m tired. DUM-E kept moving my tools so I’m tired from chasing him.”

Peter giggled and kissed his dad’s forehead, “Night Daddy.”

“Night, Petey-Pie,” Tony whispered as he drifted off to sleep to his son’s steady breath and the hum of his reactor.

***************

Tony woke a few hours later to JARVIS lightening the window and reeling off the day’s information. He showered and headed downstairs to see if he could find some help with the reactor before he and Pepper had to make the trip to SI for the press conference and a meeting with Obie. _I’ll have to sneak over to the arc reactor before coming home_ , he thought as he walked into the living room. Pepper was sitting on the couch on her computer furiously typing something and Maggie and Peter were playing a matching game on the floor.

May had gone home the day before after Strange had left, “I have to get back to work, Tony. I’m lucky that I was able to get the time off for the last three months, and I miss Ben. We’ll be back to visit and you and Pete need to come for one of the holidays,” she said as she kissed his cheek goodbye before getting in the car with Happy. “Bring Maggie, Happy, and Pepper with you too if you can. It’ll be nice to have a large family gathering again!” She waved out the window and she was gone.

“Hey guys, I need one of you girls to help me switch out the reactor. Who’s game?!”

Pepper looked and Maggie and then as one they swiveled to look at him ( _yeah, that wasn’t creepy)_ “Pepper volunteers!” Maggie yelled out, “Her hands are smaller. Like a pianist,” she smiled her shark smile. “Mine are huge and clumsy and you need a steady hand, right Pepper?”

Pepper glared at her and ground her teeth, he could hear the grinding from across the room.

“Pepper hates gross things,” Peter chimed in as he flipped a card and made a match, oblivious to the animosity above him, “I tried showing her a worm and she screamed at me. I’ll help you, Daddy!”

“Alright, show me your hands. You too Mags, you can make intricate mini-cakes so none of this clumsy bull.”

Everyone, including Peter, held up their hands. Looking back and forth he pointed first to Peter and then to Maggie and then Pepper, “I choose all of you.” The ladies rolled their eyes and Peter cheered.

So as a team, they trekked down to the basement where he had set up for the procedure before going to bed, “Pete, I need you to make sure the bots don’t get out of hand. Maggie can assist Pepper.”

So as a team they switched out the reactor. Pepper and Maggie freaked out a little at the pus and when Pepper pulled out something she shouldn’t have and Peter had fun bossing the bots around.

“Good job team! Next time maybe we’ll review beforehand to avoid pulling out things we weren’t supposed to, Ms. Potts, I’m calling on you!”

Pepper rolled her eyes, “What do you want to do with this?” She asked as she held up the old reactor.

“That? Incinerate it. Toss it, it's junk. I don’t need it,” Tony said as he buttoned up his shirt and directed the bots to clean up.

Pepper shrugged and left and went up the stairs with it.

“Come on Peter, fun time is over,” Maggie called as she motioned to the almost seven-year-old, “It’s lunchtime and your Dad has to go with Pepper to work.” Peter pouted as he followed his handler back up the stairs.

“JARVIS?”

“Yes, Sir?”

“Find any more information on who could be behind the double-dealing?”

“No, Sir. But I am having some problems getting into some of the private servers of Mr. Stane, Mr. Hanson, and Ms. Bolden. I will let you know as soon as I find some more information. In the meantime, I believe Ms. Potts is waiting for you.”

“Ok, J. Keep an eye on things,” Tony said as he left his workshop.

****************

Pepper stood in the crowd shocked. Tony had just declared that “ _I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am pausing the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be._ ”, which was insane because that was a quarter of what Stark Industries manufactured. She tried not to panic as she watched Tony walk off the stage and Stane tried to blow the whole thing off as Tony being Tony and that he’d just come back from being held hostage and nothing could be decided till the Board approved the changes (which was untrue Tony was primary stockholder, his was final say).

With the day starting out with the disgusting thing in the lab and then Coulson bothering her for a meeting (she’ll sic Maggie on him, she managed him quite well after the kidnapping) and now this! Her day was now 100% the worst day of her life. She might have to pepper spray Tony for not giving her a heads up to this fiasco. She quickly made for the nearest exit while texting JARVIS to tell Tony she was going to PR to try and smooth this out. _What a fucking dumpster nuclear fire!_

**************

Tony snuck out of the building and met Happy around the side, “Hey Hap let’s drive over to the Arc Reactor, I want a look-see!” Trying to make a quick exit before Stane caught up to him or Pepper came after him with her famous pepper spray (or her stilettos). He knew he should have warned her, he’s going to have to buy her that Kooning squiggle painting she’d been eying for the Tower Museum to make up for it. He still thought Pete could paint something similar and no one would know the difference, but Pepper had quashed that. _“We can feature local school artwork, but we are not passing Peter’s art as famous art, Tony. I know you are a Proud and Biased Father, but we have a ‘reputation’ to uphold.”_ She had used finger quotes on reputation, Maggie and her friend Darcy were starting to influence Pepper a bit too much.

“Sure boss,” Happy said as he slid in behind the wheel and Tony got in the back and lay down. They were just going to the far end of the property and not on the road, so he felt he didn’t have to observe the seatbelt rule.

After a few minutes they pulled up and he sat up, “Do you think I made the wrong decision, Happy? I know I said pause but in reality, I’m stopping production. I just can’t look my son in the eye and tell him that this is his legacy. I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability. If I can’t guarantee that his Uncle Rhodey is safe as I can make him so he can come home-” He paused as he tried to organize his thoughts, Happy’s eyes in the rearview mirror waiting patiently for him to continue. “We can do so much good without the weapons, we can protect and defend and help so many people! My little boy wants nothing in this world but to learn and create and help-,” Tony struggled to breathe through his anxiety with his reactor-restricted lungs. “He doesn’t deserve to be the next ‘ _Merchant of Death’_. He’s too pure and good for that,” Tony breathed out in a whisper, fighting for his breathe and pushing down the urge to cry. It had been hard to keep up the façade of stability the last few days and he didn’t know where he would be without Peter and everyone keeping him semi-stable and in the moment.

Happy paused for a moment before speaking, “I think that the last few years, Peter has made you reassess your priorities and this is just another one. You keep saying you’re a genius, I’m sure you had thirty backup plans in place for when the US militarily decided to use Hammer Tech for their defense contracts, so I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine.”

“Was that a joke, Happy!?” Tony was a little surprised, to be honest. That little bit of humor helping him realign himself, “I’m pouring my heart out and you joke about Hammer Tech!?”

“We’ll be fine, Tony. Between your inventing genius, Pepper’s business smarts, JARVIS, and Maggie keeping the fort running we’ll be fine.”

“Point. We’ve been tentatively doing clean energy and medical technology, so maybe that’s the direction to go. Coal reliance is at a new low and states are clamoring for new options. That solar panel gave out ten times the output than anything else currently on the market for half the cost. Plus, if we can figure out that drinking water filtration system-, you’re right Hap. We’ll be ok. The hard part is Obie and the Board, but I have an angry Pep to sic on them. What do you think about me making her CEO?”

“Yeah, not going there Boss. That’s a Maggie question and then a Pepper question. Don’t do anything before consulting them because they have the power of coffee and your schedule, I thought you learned the last time with the art thing?”

“It was originally Maggie’s idea, but fine, you’re right. I can’t afford to be in 12 hours of meetings while decaffeinated for the foreseeable future, Peter needs me to be 100% caffeinated and not in meetings,” Tony said as he slid out of the car and headed towards the reactor building. I’ll be right back, Hap. Don’t tell Pep where we are and I’ll buy you a crueler for dessert tonight. Mags is making her famous BBQ and potato salad tonight for dinner.”

“Make that two and it’s a deal. But Pep knows already, I’m sure JARVIS told her. ”

Tony scowled at his friend and then turned and tapped the door with his fist, “Come on J, aren’t you going to let me in?”

“I’m just trying to make it look like I’m not in complete control of SI systems, Sir. You have to make the impression that you are waving your ID badge that you never carry,” came from the com in his ear that connected to his phone and JARVIS.

Shaking his head, he went to the side of the door and waved his hand over the card reader, “Was that believable enough for you, J?”

“Your acting skills are beyond compare, Sir.”

“Were you able to track down the original blueprints from Howard’s archives? The ones that I had on file are missing,” Tony started circling the reactor, peering at the support struts, and headed towards the control panel.

“Sir, I believe they were taken into SHIELD custody when Mr. Stark passed away. I searched SHIELD archives and there is no digital copy, but there appears to be a listing of several personal belongings that had belonged to Mr. Stark that are referenced to the reactor. We can see if we can make a deal with Agent Coulson for those items.”

“Or we can sic Mags on Agent and see what she can wheedle out of him, it’ll be a joy to see her work her evil on someone other than me for a change,” Tony said gleefully as he played with the control board and read some of the readouts.

“I’ll ask her to contact Agent Coulson and arrange a meeting. He did approach Ms. Potts today about a meeting to debrief about your desert excursion, but we can state that the meeting is for that and then surprise him with Miss Maggie and her strategic manipulation.”

“Oooh, I like that. Strategic Manipulation, hmmm-

“Sir, Mr. Stane is approaching the building.”

“Ugh, I had hoped to avoid that fun talk today,” Tony groused as he prepared himself for the some parental like guilt from his CFO, “Can’t Obie email me like everyone else so I can have Pepper deal with it?”

“I’m sorry, Sir. I believe this is the _‘Big Boy Pants’_ protocol in effect.”

“WHAT?!”

“Something Ms. Potts had me create for you about 20 minutes ago when she told Mr. Stane where to find you,” JARVIS said as the door slid open and the line clicked, indicating that JARVIS was listening but wouldn’t respond.

***************

Obadiah was livid about having to track down Tony after his little reveal and it was not making his attitude any better. Puffing on the cigar and pushing his Segway a little too fast, he abruptly stopped next to Tony's Bentley where his driver stood smoking a cigarette. Ignoring Hogan, he strode up to the reactor building, swiped his ID Badge, pinched off his cigar, and strode into the building.

“Well, that..uh... That went well,” He tried for levity.

Tony turned away from the control panel and met Obadiah halfway, “Did I just paint a target on the back of my head?”

“Your head? What about my head? What do you think the stock prices are going to look like tomorrow?” Obadiah was trying to repress his anger. He had to find a way to manipulate this situation, “We can't just pause weapons manufacturing on a whim, we have people to answer to, Tony, we’re a weapons manufacturer."

“Obie, I just don't want a body count to be our only legacy. Pete deserves better.”

“That's what we do. We're ironmongers. We make weapons. And what we do keeps the world from falling into chaos,” Obadiah blatantly ignored the mention of the brat.

“Not based on what I saw. We're not doing a good enough job. We can do better. We're going to do something else, something better.”

“Like what? You want us to make baby bottles? Or solar panels?” Tony flinched at the solar panels.

“I think we should take another look into arc reactor technology.”

“Ah, come on. The arc reactor, that's a publicity stunt! Tony, come on. We built that thing to shut the hippies up. Your father did it to attract investors and to detract attention from Vietnam, it’s a science project! The arc was never cost-effective. We knew that before we built it.”  
  


“It works.” Tony looked smug.

“Arc reactor technology, that's a dead-end, right?”

“Maybe,” Tony leaned against the railing.

“Huh? Am I right? We haven't had a breakthrough in that in what? Thirty years?”

“That's what they say. Could you have a lousier poker face? Just tell me, who told you?” Tony had that smug smile back.

“Never mind who told me. Show me,” Obadiah was getting a little impatient.

“It’s Rhodey or Pepper.”

“I want to see it, Tony.”

“Okay, Rhodey.”

Looking at the glowing disk in Tony’s chest shocked him and excited him. This is where he was going to recover some of his loss, he just had to manipulate this a little more. “Ok.” He buttoned up Tony’s shirt, “Listen to me, Tony. We're a team. Do you understand? There's nothing we can't do if we stick together, like your father and me.”

“I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads-up, okay? But if I had-“

“Tony, no more of this "ready, fire, aim" business. You understand me?”

“That was Howard’s line.”

You going to let me handle this,” Obadiah paused, “We're going to take a lot of heat and I want you to promise me that you're going to lay low.” Watching Tony think this through was a struggle. All he wanted to do was strangle his godson, but he had to keep up appearances until he could get rid of him.

“Ok, I’ll lay low. I need to get some tests done and I need to spend some time with Peter.”

“Good! That’ll give me some time to get the Board up to date and for an investigation going,” Obadiah smiled, _hook line sinker_ , he thought.

Now he had some numbers to manipulate, emails to delete, and a CEO to get rid of,

************

After Obie left, Tony had a feeling that Obie was a little too pleased with himself when Tony had agreed to lay low for a little bit. He’d said it to distract Obie while JARVIS ran his searches but it felt almost like Obadiah was hiding something. “Maggie is rubbing off on me,” he muttered as he went out to the car. “Come on Hap, let’s go home. I have a kid to amuse and some work to do.”

Happy flicked his cigarette away, they got in the car and headed towards the mansion. As Happy drove, Tony called the number for Pepper’s favorite hotel spa and booked a week for Maggie. He wanted her out of the house so he could work on Mark II and if he was home Peter could hang out in the lab in his safe corner. This was essentially a bulletproof glass room with a Peter size workbench and tools so he could work on his own little projects. Just as he finished the call his phone rang.

“Hello?”

“What did you do? I have everyone at the Pentagon either blowing up my email or calling me asking if I had any idea about this. And what can I tell them!? Guess Tony?! No, sorry sir I had no fucking clue my best friend was going to make such a major decision and then broadcast it on live TV instead of talking to me about it first! What the hell is going on Tony?!

“Oh, shit! I knew I forgot something.”

“Oh, no you just didn’t say that! What the hell, Tones?!”

“I’m so sorry Rhodey, there’s a hole in the supply line and until I can find it and fix it I’m not sending out any more weapons. We’ll continue everything else, but weapons are on pause. It’s the Board, Rhodey, someone on the Board is dirty and they sold the company out and I’m starting to think our convoy was too.”

There was just heavy breathing on the other end, “Platypus? Are you ok?”

“Tones, are you sure?”

“J found it, of course, I’m sure.”

“Shit, ok. I can work with that, but how long before JARVIS or you find the hole and mole? I need to give some sort of deadline for when we’ll have weapons available.”

“Never, Rhodey. I’m never starting them up after this.”

“WHAT?! You can’t just drop a contract like that? We’ll sue and SI would never recover, Tony, you can’t be serious.”

“I am. I just can’t justify it after everything, Rhodey. We’ll continue everything else, the gear, the communications, the Humvees, but I can’t do the weapons anymore. I can’t do that to Peter. I can’t make him the next ‘Merchant of Death’. You can’t ask me to do that, James.”

Rhodey must have known how serious Tony was because Tony never called him James unless it was something he would never yield on. For example, when Tony had found out he was a father and was going to meet Peter for the first time, Rhodey had told him that Tony would have to change his entire lifestyle. Tony had looked his best friend in the eye and stated very clearly, _“I **know** , James. I **can’t** be Howard. I’ll break the cycle of shame.”_

The breathing seemed to last forever before Rhodey finally spoke, “Ok, Tony. I’ll work something out, somehow. At least you worded it in such a way that it seems like you’ll eventually start up again after the problem is fixed, so this gives me time to figure out something. But Tony, this is a shit show and I’m really pissed at you. Next time loop me in so I don’t have to restrain myself from strangling you.”

“Fair, I’ll have JARVIS make a note of it and loop you in for me whenever I decide to make your life a dumpster fire.”

“Good, god knows what you would do without JARVIS and the Aunts.”

“Ugh, I know.”

“I’m off to clean up your dumpster fire. I should coordinate with Pepper since you probably did the same thing to her but I’m surprised this got past her, to be honest.”

“Yeah, I’m going to owe her some very expensive shoes and a very expensive painting to make up for this.”

“And a spa week.”

“And a spa week,” Tony agreed, “I’m sending Maggie on one as soon as I get home and I’ll have to send Pepper when this blows over.”

“Good idea, Mags could use the break and you should send her crazy taser buddy with her. I guess they knew each other in high school or something and then reconnected over tasers on Tumbler. I’m a little scared, to be honest, but she goes to Culver University so she can’t be that bad.”

“What?! I didn’t know about the Tumbler and the tasers. OOOhhhh, the blackmail material! But good idea, a friend will keep her distracted and focused on spa fun other than worrying about my health. I have a Strange doctor for that.”

“Ugh, no Strange puns, you know the rule. I gotta go Tony and I won’t see you guys tonight since I’m dealing with this. And you are not allowed to do any more press conferences before calling me first.”

“Fine. I’ll have J call you.”

The line clicked and the phone went back to his home screen with a picture of Peter playing in the pool with a pair of Tony’s sunglasses on his face. He smiled at the picture, he was excited to spend a week building with his kid. Peter was going to love ‘helping’ him.

“Hey, Hap! We need to stop for doughnuts before we go home. I promised Pete and I need some sugar and carbs.”

“Of course, Boss, anything for Pete,” Happy deadpanned from the front.

*****************

When Tony got home and then informed Maggie that she was going to a spa with Darcy, she was a little suspicious.

“Tony that is not a good idea. I am not going to go to the spa just after you got back and you decided to pause weapons manufacturing. You’re going to be busy and overworked and someone has to take care of Peter,” Maggie scolded as she cut up potatoes for her salad. “I will after this all blows over and you can spend some one on one time with him. Also, Darcy is out of the country right now. Something about ‘Hot Italians’ or something,” she muttered as she shook the kosher salt over the potatoes.

“You need some time to relax,” Tony said as he stole a piece of a chopped egg from the bowl, “You’ve been working non-stop for almost a year and I feel like I need to make up for you missing your baking class.”

“How about I take some personal time to get a mani/Pedi and a massage and come back tomorrow night? How’s that sound?” Maggie asked as she folded in the eggs with the potatoes and the dressing, “I know you have a project you want to work on and you won’t be able to focus on that and watch Pete at the same time.”

Tony sighed, there goes his master plan, “fine, you’re right. There’s bound to be something that comes up that I’ll need you for and Peter is too young to watch himself. So do the over-night thing and then I’ll send you and Darcy to ogle the ‘Hot Italians’ next summer.”

“Ugh, I’d rather ogle the art in Italy and drink too much espresso,” Maggie muttered under her breath. She covered the potato salad and put it in the fridge. Turning she looked Tony in the eye, “I agreed to do the overnight thing and I’ll ignore your ‘Lab Experiments’ as long as you get the scans that Strange wanted to be done.”

“Why do I always think I’m the evil genius? Ok. Deal!” Tony shook her hand. “Pack your bags Mags!” He turned and started out of the kitchen yelling for Happy to bring the car to the front door.

Maggie shook her head, she had a bad feeling about this. “JARVIS, please set up the ‘Call the Babysitter’ protocol. I have a feeling that I’ll be needed a lot more than he realizes.”

“Done, Miss Maggie. I also took the initiative to find a reputed colleague of Doctor Strange in the area that will be discreet, to do some scans on Sir in two days.”

“Oh, good! That’s one thing done. I’m going to go pack, JARVIS, can you send Peter to my room, please? I’d like to talk to him before I leave.”

“Of course, Miss.”

“Thanks, JARVIS.”

***************

Pepper was pissed. She came back to the mansion to talk with Maggie to see if she could speak with Agent Coulson and all she found was Peter and Tony eating BBQ without Maggie. “Where’s Maggie?”

“She’s on a spa day at your favorite spa,” Tony said as he ate some red potato salad made with Greek yogurt. Sitting down next to Peter, she plated up some food and glared at her boss.

“I needed her,” Pepper glared at her boss,” I know you are up to something. You needed her out of the house because you knew she would stop you from whatever project you have dreamed up. It’s the old Tony Stark Gift and Switch.”

Tony tried not to look guilty but he slumped a little “I’m sorry….? I bought you doughnuts.”

“Ugh, if you get the scans that Doctor Strange wanted to be done I’ll leave you alone to do whatever stupid thing you have planned,” she compromised, “Otherwise I’m siccing Maggie on you. I can’t manage both of you alone and Happy just enables instead of disabling all the Stark shenanigans.” Pepper would not compromise on this, he put too much bullshit on her today already.

Tony continued to chew and stare at Pepper, but she just ignored him and continued eating the food Maggie had made before running off to get massages _. Oh, a massage would be heavenly right now_ , Pepper thought as she savored the smoky BBQ sandwich, _if I go and ‘retrieve’ Maggie, maybe I could squeeze one in before having to come back_. She shook herself and told herself that she had to get this dumpster fire and its pyro creator fixed first and then she can enjoy a well-deserved all paid vacation.

“Maggie already had JARVIS set that up for me, it’s in two days at 10 am,” Tony said breaking his little staring contest. “She pretty much said the same thing to me, something about ignoring my ‘Lab Experiments’ as long as I get the scans done.”

“I’m glad she and I are on the same page, but no lab time till they are done. I just wish she would have texted that me that she was leaving for the day, I need help with Coulson and she’s the best person for that job.”

“Oh, I had that same idea! I need some blueprints for Strange and SHIELD has them since they took all of Howard’s things when he died.”

“When she gets back we’ll both sit down and talk to her about that,” Pepper finished up her food and then went and got some apple crisp for dessert, Maggie made the best dessert. Sitting back down she sipped her coffee.

“Did Rhodey call you?” Tony asked as he wiped the dinner off of Peter’s face with his napkin.

“Yes he did and he said you owed me many, many things for doing your job for you,” Pepper pointed her fork at Tony, “Starting with the Giuseppe Zanotti heels, patent leather in red with ankle straps and open toes, and the Dsquared2 six-inch pumps, black lace with stabbing stilettos.” She poked an apple and ate it while not breaking eye contact.

“He has an excellent taste in footwear,” Tony joked “I’m also throwing in a spa week when this blows over.”

Pepper contemplated the offer, as she continued to intimidate Tony and Peter just giggled at the whole situation. He enjoyed it when his aunties were being ‘mean’ to his dad.

“He does. Do we have an accord, Mr. Stark?”

“We have an accord, Ms. Potts.”

“Hurray!” Peter yelled as he hugged his dad, “Pepper wins!”

“Pete, Pepper always wins.” Tony grumbled, “But we lesser mortals should at least put up the good fight to see if there is a chance of some parley for dignity.”

“Daddy, I don’t know what that means.”

“I’ll explain when you start middle school, bud, that’s when you’ll start to need it.”

Peter made a confused face at his dad and Pepper laughed, “It’s ok Peter, Maggie, and I will help you.”

“Oh good, I was worried,” Peter smiled at Pepper.

“Oh god, he’s way too young for the sass,” Tony moaned.

“Well, he is precocious, Sir,” JARVIS spoke up, “I wouldn’t expect anything less from your offspring.”

“Uggh! I give up!”

******************

The scans came back and Strange told him that he would be ok for now, but the reactor really shouldn’t be in there long term. “It’s stable in your chest for now and from your vital readings, other than your oxygen levels, everything appears to be stable. I would advise a brace for any intensive physical activity.”

So here Tony was two days from the press conference making a full-body ‘brace’ for his soon to be intensive physical activity.

“ JARVIS, you up?”

“ For you, Sir, always.”

“ I'd like to open a new project file, index as Mark II.”

“Shall I store this on the Stark Industries Central Database or the private server?”

“Till further notice, why don't we just keep everything on my private server?”

“Working on a secret project, are we, sir? Or the brace that Doctor Strange recommended?”

“I don't want this winding up in the wrong hands. Maybe in mine, it can actually do some good. And it is a full-body prosthesis, by the way, then it can't get dislodged or squish my squishies.”

“Of course, sir.”

He got the flight boots done and he was ready for tests. He had sent Peter out with Maggie for a day so he wouldn’t have to worry about Peter getting hurt. She had been right, not that he would tell her that.

“Okay, let's do this right. Start mark, half a meter, and back and center. Dummy, look alive. You're on standby for fire safety. U, roll it. Okay. Activate hand controls. We're going to start off nice and easy. We're going to see if a 10% thrust capacity achieves lift. And three, two, one.”

Oh, he was in so much pain.

He needed flight stabilizers for his hands so he didn’t hit the wall again. _Why didn’t I think of this before testing the boots, I’m supposed to be a genius with an air force best friend. I should know this_.

“Obadiah’s upstairs,” Pepper said as she set a brown box and a cup of coffee next to him.

“Oh?”

“What do you want me to tell him?”

“I’ll be right up. Are Maggie and Pete back yet?”

“No, she called me and said they were going to get some dinner and then be back around seven. I thought you said you were done making weapons.”

“I am. This is a flight stabilizer. It's completely harmless,” and as he said that, he flew backward, and hit the wall again. “Shit. I didn’t expect that!”

******************

After a week and a half, he was ready for testing both the boots and hand flight stabilizers together. “Day 11, test 37, configuration 2.0. For lack of a better option, DUM-E is still on fire safety. If you douse me again, and I'm not on fire, I'm donating you to a city college. All right, nice and easy. Just going to start off with 1% thrust capacity, and three, two, one.” He lifted off the ground and hovered for a bit before dropping the few feet to the floor. “Okay. Please don't follow me around with it, either, because I feel like I'm going to catch on fire spontaneously. Just stand down! If something happens, then come in,” Tony yelled at DUM-E, “And again, let's bring it up to 2.5. Three, two, one.” Tony lifted a little higher and then started flying over his shop and away from the test pad. “Okay, this is where I don't want to be! Not the car, not the car! Table! Could be worse! Could be worse! We're fine!” Just as he managed to get back to the test pad, he landed, and then DUM-E goes to spray him with foam, “No, DUM-E! Or I’ll make you a coat rack!”

“Yeah, I can fly. Ok, Jarvis, let’s do this!”

He has JARVIS suit him up in the rest of the armor and load himself into the suit, “JARVIS, are you there?”

“Of course, Sir.”

“Engage heads-up display and import all preferences from the home interface.”

“Will do, Sir.” JARVIS flashes readouts in the HUD and Tony watches as it indicates full upload. “We’re online and ready, Sir.”

“Can we start the virtual walk-around and do a check on control surfaces?”

“I am importing preferences and calibrating a virtual environment.” JARVIS shows him a reading of the suit and the virtual tests that he’s performing. “The test is complete, Sir, I will begin to power down and begin diagnostics.”

“J, tell you what. Do a weather and ATC check. Start listening in on ground control.”

“Sir, there are still terabytes of calculations needed before an actual flight-“

“JARVIS! Sometimes you got to run before you can walk. Ready? In three, two, one.”

Let’s say, he should have let JARVIS do those calculations because free falling in a dead suit and almost taking out several cars were not in the plans.

***************

Maggie woke to Peter crawling into her bed. He hadn’t done that since Tony had come back three weeks ago, but here he was, sobbing in her arms.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

“Daddy is missing again. Jarvis said he wasn’t in the house and I went down to the lab and looked in his room and he’s not there,” Peter said between his tears. “He promised!”

“I’m sure he’s around here somewhere, maybe he went to sit by the pool or out to take DUM-E for his semi-annual walk.”

“No! He’s gone and he’s never coming back this time!” Peter’s sobs became louder and he started pulling on her braid as he tried to get his arms around her neck.

“Peter! Listen to me! Did you ask JARVIS where your dad was?”

Peter stopped crying and looked up at her, “No.”

“JARVIS, where is Tony?”

“Sir is in his lab. Would you like me to contact him?”

“No, that’s fine we’ll go down and see him. Thank you JARVIS,” Maggie said as she scooted to the edge of the bed, slipped on some shoes, picked up Peter, and carried him out of the room on her hip.

“What if JARVIS is lying?” Peter continued to sniffle and rub his snot on Maggie’s sleep shirt.

“Has JARVIS ever lied to you?”

“No.”

“So why would he start now?”

“I don’t know,” Sighing, Maggie kissed his forehead as they took the elevator to the workshop, somehow missing the hole in the ceiling and floor. She punched in her access code, entered, and looked around the lab. There was debris everywhere and a robot man was laying on top of the Kirkham aluminum Shelby Cobra replica that Tony and Rhodey had built in the late ‘90s. “WHAT THE HELL! JARVIS what is going on here?! Where is Tony!?” Maggie started to freak out and then the robot man looked up.

“Hey Mags and Pete, whatcha doing?” Came Tony’s voice from the robot.

“I’m sorry Miss Maggie and Master Peter, Sir decided that he wanted to protect his arc reactor with some body armor.”

“So cool!” Peter was nothing but an encouraging son.

“Not cool!” She looked down at the floor as she carefully wove her way across the workshop until she stood in front of the Cobra and Tony, “this is not cool Tony, there’s a hole in the ceiling!” she shouted as she looked up, “and you destroyed the car you and Rhodey built!”

“I can explain!” Tony shouted back as the suits’ visor went up, “this is not what it looks like?”

“Then what is it? Peter woke me up after he couldn’t find you and then we find your lab destroyed and a new skylight in the ceiling and you trying to be the Iron Giant here.”

“Let me get out of this and I’ll come up and we’ll sit down and I’ll try and explain,” trying to appease her and calm her down because Peter was feeling the tension and had started crying again. “Peter is crying and you know that’ll just lead to him having an asthma attack.”

Maggie glanced at Peter and her whole demeanor changed as she tried to calm the little boy down, “I’m sorry Peter I was just worried about your dad. Why don’t we go up and get some hot cocoa made and we’ll talk with your dad about his cool robot armor.”

Peter nodded and burrowed his nose into Maggie’s neck. Maggie cuddled him closer and looked back at Tony, “Change out of whatever that is and I’ll try and calm him down and I’ll have some coffee ready. God knows I’m going to need it for whatever this is,” she said as she gestured towards the armor with her chin.

Peter interrupted, “Maggie I want my hot cocoa.”

“Ok, buddy,” Maggie turned and to go back up in the elevator, “Darcy was right when she said that I needed a vacation.”

“Your Taser Tumbler Buddy can’t give advice!” Tony quipped after Maggie just before the door closed on the elevator, “Yes, I know about your Tumbler blog!”

“Whatever, Tony! At least I don’t make ‘Home Improvements’ Tim Allen style!” She had freed one of her arms from under Peter to air quote, “My hobbies are at least non-destructive,” holding the elevator door open with her body. Maggie will never admit to the amount of time she spends on TUMBLER. Nope. She does not have a board on how tasers are the new modern equalizer. Nope. 

“I wouldn’t necessarily call your crocheting non-destructive, but your Kung fu-ing and baton-ing are definitely up there in the destructive categories!”

Maggie sighed, shook her head, and backed into the elevator, “You know it’s not called that. I’ll put some decaf on for you,” she smiled her shark smile as the door closed.

“Shit!” Maggie heard from Tony and a crunch from the destroyed car. _Rhodey was going to be soooo pissed when she sent him pictures_ , she thought, “Hey JARVIS, please tell me you got some pictures for me, I have a Colonel to sic on a Robot.”

“Of course, Miss, I always take pictures for posterity.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it would have been funnier if the Shelby Cobra, that Tony destroyed when he fell on it, was a kit car that he and Rhodey built for fun instead of a beautiful irreplaceable classic that it probably was (if it was real life). I borrowed a bit from the movies. I love the parts where Tony is recording his test flights. Poor DUM-E could use some love, it's not his fault he loves putting out fires. And Darcy! I thought they could be Taser-Girls (I have this series planned, people). The lace shoes are actually ones the Gwyneth Paltrow wore in 2008ish and red ones were available in 2008. 
> 
> Love your comments, have a safe and Covid free Holiday everyone! 
> 
> <3 ~M.


	4. Friendly Fire and Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie and Pepper find out Tony likes to sneak out, Obadiah yells at people and tries to steal things, The Pirate channels his inner Bond Villain and Agent Coulson is have a difficult few days. Oh, and Peter is the budding adorable genius that we all love!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been over a week, but yay a new chapter! One more chapter/epilogue to go after this and then a new part!

Maggie went up and made Peter his cocoa and they sat in front of the TV watching old episodes of Sponge Bob while they waited. An hour later, Peter had fallen asleep and she was getting a little impatient.

“Jarvis, what is taking Tony so long?”

“I’m sorry miss, but it appears he has left the mansion.”

“What?! Where did he go?”

“There is a fundraiser that Stark Industries is hosting and he felt it was necessary to attend. I’m sure he sends his apologies.”

“Ugh, fine. I’m going to put Peter to bed and then myself,” Maggie grumbled as she lifted the seven-year-old and put him to bed. She still couldn’t believe she’d been watching over him for a little over two years, it felt like forever. She was starting to think she wouldn’t be able to leave him for six months to attend the French pastry school anymore.

The next morning she got up and made breakfast for Peter and herself before she got him off to school. JARVIS told her that Tony had come home and then left right away. When she asked when Tony would be home, JARVIS told her that he wasn’t sure. “Something is wrong JARVIS and I need you to be honest with me. Do I need to implement ‘Baton the Hatches’ or the ‘Rabbit Hole’ protocols?” Which was the full lockdown of the mansion, no one in or out, and the other was retreating to the panic room that had been installed after Peter had been kidnapped.

“No, Miss. Sir is just away taking care of some SI business and is currently on his way home. I believe he should be back in a few hours.”

“Hmm, and what business is that, JARVIS? Tony is usually pretty good about informing me when something like this happens.”

“I’m afraid that I’m unable to state what that is, Miss.”

So Maggie went about her day. After she and Peter had returned home after school Pepper showed up at the house a few minutes after, “Have you seen Tony, Maggie?”

“Sir has just arrived home and is in the workshop, Ms. Potts,” JARVIS replied before Maggie could answer. So all three of them went down to the workshop, stepped over broken glass and debris everywhere, and found Tony struggling out of a red and gold metal suit.

“What is going on here?! Are those bullet holes!?” Pepper exclaimed as they came upon Tony telling the bots to go easy on him.

“Let's face it. This is not the worst thing either of you has ever caught me doing,” Tony’s gauntlet was pulled off and he fell sideways.

“So this is the SI business JARVIS said you had to attend to?” Maggie accused anger flushing her face red. Peter clutching her hand and his eyes open in wonder at the suit. “No message left to where you were going, which was obviously a war zone, and Peter and I are here with no clue that you were in danger!”

“This deserves an explanation, Tony,” Pepper looked ready to pull off a heel.

“Ok, you’re both right. Peter, why don’t you go play with DUM-E and I’ll show you some stuff after I talk to Maggie and Pepper.” Peter looked up at Tony and then over at the suit in pieces, “If you’re good and behave I’ll show you some of the suit stuff after.” Peter smiled and ran off to play catch with DUM-E in his safe corner of the lab.

Shuffling the two women over to his couch and the destroyed TV, he sat them down and stood in front of them, “I went to destroy illegal weapon catches in Afghanistan and liberate the town of Gulmira. There was a shipment approved and Obie is the one double-dealing. I had to stop it. It’s my name on the building on those weapons and I can’t stand for that. So I took care of it,” Tony was precise and to the point and Maggie was a little concerned about how focused he was on this.

“Are you ok?” Pepper looked Tony over for any blood or injuries, “the suit looks like it deflected the bullets, but did any get through? Is the reactor still in place?”

“Everything is fine. JARVIS scans me and monitors the suit, so he’d let me know if there was anything wrong. We also built in the suit a specific brace that holds the reactor in place and wraps around me to harness the excess energy from the reactor. It’s not going anywhere.”

Maggie just sat in silence, trying to process. Here was a man building a modern-day flying suit of armor that blew up shit with no second thought to the long term consequences. What about the danger he was putting himself into, what kind of power drain was it on the reactor, would it affect the magnet that kept the shrapnel from moving? These questions ran through her mind as she lost focus on the moment and the voices faded to white noise around her. Her vision dimmed and she saw Obadiah Stane leaning over an incapacitated Tony. He held one of Tony’s shoulders and leaned in with the other, something metal in his hand. Tony’s eyes were unblinking and the stress around his face and neck seemed to make the bones and veins stand out.

“Maggie! Maggie!” She heard voices shout as she was rocked back and forth. Looking down she found Peter in her arms crying.

“What happened?” She whispered, “I-I-…” she stuttered and fell silent. “Tony, where is Obadiah right now?”

“JARVIS?”

“Mr. Stane is currently at Stark Industries.” Maggie refocused on the boy in her arms and realized that she was in the lab and not up in the living room. Stane wasn’t here and Tony was here in front of her talking to JARVIS.

“Sir, I found something. I was finally able to get into Mr. Stane’s private server and I found several videos of your last overseas trip from your hosts to Mr. Stane. I finished analyzing the last shipping manifests and discovered your signature on them but with Mr. Stane’s IP address.”

Maggie watched as Tony paled at the mention of his captors working with Stane. With proof, there was no longer any doubt about Obadiah’s guilt in the whole matter. Tony would have to deal with putting his godfather and mentor in jail, the hit to the company’s image, and the fall in stock prices. This might be the straw that broke the SI back.

Peter had quieted down and was nestled in Maggie’s arms, his head on her shoulder and his arms around her neck. She breathed in his coconut shampoo and looked up at his father who appeared to get paler and paler as she watched him. His breathing increased and he pulled at his hair and rubbed his chest where the reactor was glowing.

“I trusted him and I was sure, I was so sure-.” Tony repeated and repeated as he dropped to his knees.

Pepper got off the couch and kneeled in front of Tony and took his hands in hers, placing one over her heart, “Breathe with me, Tony.” She counted their breaths and grounded him. As he came out of the panic attack, Peter pulled out of Maggie’s arms and leaned forward towards Tony.

“Hey, buddy.” Tony pulled Peter in close and Peter nestled his head between Tony’s neck and shoulder and snuggled in.

He focused on Pepper and then Maggie and then looked down at Peter. Running his hand through his son’s hair he moved forward and sat on the couch next to Maggie, “Thank you both so much,” Tony took a deep breath,“ I have no idea what kind of mental state I’d be in without you two and Happy and Rhodey to help me out. So thank you.” He paused again, deep in thought before continuing, “And JARVIS, without you integrated into SI, I would have had to send Pepper in to dig out evidence and put her in danger. So thank you for being a sneaky AI and keeping us safe,” Tony took a deep focusing breath and kissed Peter’s temple, “I love you Petey-Pie, you’re the most important kid in the world and I’m glad you have a battalion of people who love you and want to help me protect you.”

“Love you too Daddy,” came Peter’s muffled reply, “I love my scary aunties too.”

They all laughed, breaking the tension and quiet seemed to settle over the workshop.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Maggie going over security and defense of the house and what she had to do if something like her vision occurred. “JARVIS, how much access does Stane have to this house?” She said, breaking the silence.

“None, Miss. As soon as I realized the probable liability of Mr. Stane, he was removed from the friendly list.”

She hummed in thought, “How much does Rhodey know about the suit,” she turned to Tony. “If you managed to make that much damage in an active war zone, you must have been noticed by the armed forces.”

“Yeah…. About that… the bullet holes were kind of friendly fire.”

“What!?”

********************

Stane was standing over the prone terrorist leader as he heard the shots of his security team killing off the rest of the man’s minions. He took one more look at the suit of armor and the empty hole in the chest before striding out of the tent and pulling out his phone. “Set up a research sector underneath the arc reactor, I need our top engineers to analyze the item I’m bringing in. We’ll need a working prototype as soon as possible and I'm going to want this data masked and separate from SI’s normal servers.”

Within days they had a suit built that was bigger and more intuitive than the one that had been built by Tony in the cave but no matter what they did, they couldn’t re-create the miniaturized arc reactor.

“Mr. Stane? Sir, we've explored what you've asked us, and it seems as though there's a little hiccup.”

“A hiccup?”

“Yes, to power the suit, sir, the technology actually doesn't exist.”

“So, it's... Wait, wait, wait, the technology?” Stane was beyond frustrated and quickly going towards incensed.

“William, here is the technology. I've asked you to simply make it smaller,” He dragged the scientist closer to the arc reactor, the railing digging into the man’s side.

“Okay, sir, and that's what we're trying to do, but honestly, it's impossible,” the dumpy man sniveled.

“Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! With a box of scraps!” Obadiah screamed in frustration, enraged.

“Well, I'm sorry sir, I'm not Tony Stark,” William meekly said before he forcefully pulled himself from Obadiah’s grasp and darted after the other scientists.

Stane stood back and stared as the electric waves circled the housing of the reactor. Well, if they couldn’t recreate it, he’d acquire the original for them to study and use as a template. He just needed something to knock the power out at the Stark Mansion and he’d be able to break in and rip it out of that selfish bastard’s chest, solving many of his problems. The death of SI’s CEO from ‘complications from his captivity’ would solve many of his problems in one fell swoop. He would just have to get rid of that stupid nanny and Potts to gain all the control over that brat and SI.

*************************

Agent Coulson was having a difficult day. He arrived for his appointment at 7 pm at Stark Industries and when directed to the elevator, the doors closed before allowing anyone else to enter and then unexpectedly stopped between floors.

“Agent Coulson, I have been directed to inform you that Sir and Ms. Potts are currently unable to meet you,” A disembodied voice came from overhead, “I will send the address to your phone.”

“Ok-?” The elevator went back down and opened into the lobby and the receptionist at the desk gave him a weird look. Ignoring them, he left SI for the address that had been texted to him by an unknown number.

******************

Maggie was the one who answered the door when Agent Coulson rang the bell. They had to keep up the appearances of being a normal house and not one run by an autonomous AI that controlled probably more than any of them knew. “Phil, I’m so glad you were able to make it. We have a bit of a crisis that I need some help with solving and I know how much you love to solve the most difficult of crises,” she flattered the Agent. “Mr. Stark mentioned that you had an appointment and I suggested that we all meet to explain the entire situation from the beginning with all of us who were involved.”

She smiled her little smile that never failed to manipulate the general public. Agent Coulson was not fooled, she knew because he worked with the best, but she could play up the ‘Nanny’ façade she had perfected. Leading the way to the living room she sat next to Pepper and motioned for Phil to sit across from them. “Tony should be right up from his workshop. Would you like a refreshment?” She motioned to the tray on the coffee table in front of them, “I made some fresh coffee and I have a lovely coconut lemon cake.” _Oooh a reaction_ , she thought. She always won over the staunchest of people over with her baking.

“That sounds lovely, Ms. Skold.”

“Oh, please call me Maggie, we’ve talked about this Phil,” she admonished, “Otherwise I would have to follow Mr. Stark’s example and call you ‘Agent’ and I know how much you love that.” Quirking her polite smile, she passed him a plate with the cake and handed him a napkin. He thanked her with his polite smile and took the cake.

“We wouldn’t want that, Mags, that’s my shtick,” Tony said as he came up behind Agent Coulson. “Plus if we’re talking treason, I would like to be on a first-name basis with everyone.”

Phil stood and shook Tony’s hand and they all sat down, “What’s this about treason, Stark?”

So they told him the entire story and despite the sweet cake, everything seemed very bitter, the coffee a very good compliment to the treason and betrayal.

“Stark will stay here with Maggie and Peter while I escort Ms. Potts to SI to arrest Stane with several agents,” Agent Coulson summarized as he set his cup down and went to rise. “I’d send another agent to protect you, but Maggie probably has more training than half the midlevel agents. I know you’ve been training on the sly with Agent Romanoff,” he smiled at Maggie.

“Oh, only the best for me,” Maggie quipped as she started to gather the dishes and move herself off to check on Peter. They had sent him to his room to watch some movies and play with his new Lego set that he had gotten from May and Ben for his birthday.

Pepper and Coulson went off to arrest Stane and Maggie had JARVIS implement ‘Baton the Hatches’ protocol. She got Peter ready for bed while Tony went down to his workshop to finish working on the armor. Just as she was going to have JARVIS bring Tony up to give Peter his goodnight kiss and read from the story the boys read from every night the lights dimmed, flickered, and went out.

“JARVIS? What is going on?” Maggie tried not to panic, “JARVIS…?”

There was no response. Maggie then automatically went into the “Rabbit Hole” protocol. She gathered Peter and she pushed into his closet, slid the false panel, and punched in the code on the manual keypad to open the door to the panic room. It was always prepped for two weeks for a three-person full lockdown. It was separate from the rest of the house’s power grid and had a separate protected water supply that Tony had made sure was on no schematics public or private. He had taken no chances for Peter’s safety.

“Peter, you are to stay here until we let you out. There is something wrong and I need you to stay safe while I go get your dad,” she gripped his small shoulders and looked him straight in his eyes.

“Will you come back?” He looked scared and tears started to flood his eyes.

“Always. I love you,” She kissed his forehead, closed the door, and replaced the panel, hiding the panic room.

Tony had put locked safes throughout the house with weapons and gear, a leftover from Howard’s paranoid SHIELD days, and she accessed the one in Tony’s closet. She pulled on the newest lightweight bulletproof SI vest that was customized for her batons and wrapped the double holster around her waist and slipped in the customized grip Glocks that Nat had taught her to use the last six months. She put in precision earplugs that adjusted and eliminated harmful sound levels that Tony had customized just for her and her target practice. After pulling on her special grounding gloves she felt for her phone but realized she had left it downstairs in the kitchen on the charger. Shaking her head at her thoughtlessness she pulled a spare set of batons out and flicked them open. After checking the charge levels, she collapsed them and put them in their slots. She pulled out a gun and headed down to find Tony.

****************

Tony was paralyzed on the couch, he had come up from the workshop to kiss Peter goodnight and got distracted when Pepper called him. The paralyses went through him making his muscles tighten, freeze and immediately cramp. Trying to breathe through the rigidity of his body and the growing panic attack as he realized that his family was above the stairs and he could do nothing to protect them.

“Breathe. Easy, easy. You remember this one, right? It's a shame the government didn't approve it. There are so many applications for causing short-term paralysis, Tony, “Obie mocked, “When I ordered the hit on you, I worried that I was killing the golden goose. But, you see, it was just fate that you survived that. You had one last golden egg to give. Do you really think that just because you have an idea, it belongs to you? Your father, he helped give us the atomic bomb. Now, what kind of world would it be today if he was as selfish as you?”

Stane pulled the reactor from his chest and immediately he could feel the shards creep closer with each pump of his heart. He heard something from behind Stane and all he could think of was that he hoped to all that was holy that it wasn’t Peter. _Please not Peter. I hope Maggie has him safe and locked up in the panic room_ , he prayed and tried to breathe as he felt himself dying one beat at a time.

“Oh, it's beautiful. Tony, this is your Ninth Symphony. What a masterpiece,” Stane held up the reactor, mocking him with his lifeline out of his chest and the cold glow making the evil in Stane’s eyes appear even more sinister. “Look at that, this is your legacy. Not that stupid brat you insisted on keeping. But he may have his uses after I get rid of that interfering nanny you have babying him and your lovely assistant.”

Tony choked on his saliva as he tried to move but the click of Maggie’s batons telescoping forced him to adjust his eyes past Stane.

“Ah, the interfering nanny, in the flesh,” Stane stood and stepped away from Tony.

The whistling of the batons twirling and Tony heard the reactor hit the floor with a metallic clang and the sizzle of the electricity as she hit Stane in the shoulder. Tony tried to get himself to move as his phone rang from the end of the couch. A crack of gunfire pushed him to force himself to move, his fingers twitching and his toes tried to gain traction. Maggie’s cry as the sound of someone falling echoed off the glass and concrete. Another sizzle and Stane grunted and the smell of burnt hair and cloth filled the air as Tony continued to gasp for breath and strained to move.

“Tony!?” Came Maggie’s breathless shout as she pulled him up upright again and leaned him back against the couch, he had managed to somehow fall to the floor. She grasped the reactor and his shoulder and re-inserted his lifeline.

She sat next to him, her breaths coming uneven and panicked as she struggled to calm down. “I think he’s dead, Tony. I think I killed him. I didn’t realize that I had cranked them all the way up,” She appeared lost in the moment and her breathing sped up as her eyes started to dart and roll, “there was no pulse.”

Tony couldn’t speak and he could barely move but he managed to somehow grasp her hand and squeeze. She looked up at him and the tears started to fall and she leaned forward and hugged him, “oh my god, oh my god, I’m so glad I got to you in time. When I saw him leaned over you, pulling your reactor out-.”She sobbed onto his shoulder as he started to get his mobility back and he was finally able to give her some comfort.

“It’s ok Mags, it’s ok,” he repeated over and over until Rhodey ran through the door and found them.

**********

Maggie had suffered a gunshot graze to her leg but Stane was definitely dead. The voltage from her batons had caused Stane to have a heart attack leaving them all an excellent cover-up, or so Agent Coulson had claimed. A press conference was held to announce the death of Obidiah Stane and his replacement. Tony claimed he had the best candidate already lined up.

“With great sorrow, we at Stark Industries are announcing the death of Obadiah Stane, a man who managed to operate the company during several difficult times. Such as the death of the founder, several major wars, and the ascension of the young and difficult heir, just to name a few.” The reporters rippled, little laughs of amusement coming out despite the somber announcement. “His death was a shock to all of us here at Stark Industries and me personally. He was my godfather, mentor, and father figure.” Tony tried not to cringe at the betrayal of his ‘Uncle Obie’, it was still difficult for him to process. The man had been a lifeline during several difficult times in his life and to find out that the man himself had orchestrated his and his son’s kidnappings had been the ultimate betrayal. Tony was still going through the information that JARVIS had managed to acquire from Stane’s personal servers.

“We, the Stark Industries family, want to move forward as he would have wanted us to and name his successor. Obadiah had an impressive tenure and will difficult to replace, but after consulting several experts about the matter, I have come to a decision. The person I chose has a master’s degree in accounting and over a decade of experience at different levels of Stark Industries. She has managed to assist me in making the company more profitable and efficient than it’s ever been. When I was lost overseas for three months, she managed to keep the company running at peak levels and profitability despite the missing CEO and stock fluctuations.”

Tony paused for dramatic effect, making eye contact with Peter, Maggie, and Happy at the back of the room. Maggie smiled and Peter waved at him, more excited than he had seen him since before being lost in Afghanistan. This was the best decision he could ever make. “I am pleased to announce that Virginia ‘Pepper’ Potts, effective immediately, will take over as Chief Financial Officer.”

The room erupted into chaos and Tony just stood there with his sunglasses on, trying not to smile. They had to play off Obadiah’s death as natural and unfortunate and in a few months after everything settled they would declare Stane a traitor. Tony would have to track and destroy the weapons and investigate how far his former CFO had managed to double deal and deface the company. He moved back as Pepper moved forward and accepted the position and stated her condolences for Stane’s death before wrapping up the press conference.

Tony and Pepper walked into the backroom meeting up with Maggie, Peter, Happy, and Agent Coulson. Tony sat down next to Peter and pulled his son in close and kissed his head, smelling in his coconut shampoo. “So we made Peps a big boss, what do you think about that Petey-Pie?”

“It’s awesome! But she was already a big boss,” Peter smiled up at his dad. “You always let her and Maggie make the big decisions, so my Aunties are the big bosses of Daddy.”

Everyone in the room laughed at them, “I guess you’re smarter than me, Pete.” Tony pulled his kid on his lap and Peter cuddled in.

“Almost, Daddy. Maybe when I’m 10 I’ll be smarter than you,” Peter quipped.

Maggie smiled at them and then dragged Agent out of the room, her devious scheming smile on her face. “Oh, looks like Agent is in trouble,” Peter observed, “what did he do Daddy?”

“I’m not sure, but I think he’s hiding something from her. You know how she gets when we hide things from her. She gets very angry and then makes us tell her.”

“OOOOhhhh, Agent will get the naughty corner and decaf coffee?”

“Oh, I think it might be worse than that,” Tony smiled his smug smile.

********

Maggie dragged Coulson to Tony’s office across the building and flipped the lock. JARVIS had complete control of this office so she knew it was secure and they would have the privacy they needed for this conversation.

“You and SHIELD have an agenda that I am not pleased with. You and your Pirate leader are manipulating the Stark chessboard and that is my job,” she poked a finger in Phil’s chest. “I want a meeting with Fury as soon as possible so we can negotiate a parley,” she flashed her little innocent smile.

“You could have asked, Ms. Skold,” a deep voice came from behind her, the chair behind the desk swiveled around revealing the Director of SHIELD.

She whipped out her batons in surprise from the hidden pockets in her dress, electricity crackling from the ends, “Hello Fury.”

“I see that your training with Romanoff has paid off,” Fury observed as he played his best Bond supervillain.

“I see you have been watching _You Only Live Twice_ again,” she turned off the batons and stashed them back in their secret pockets. “All you need is your cat and you’d be set,” Fury seemed to blink oddly at the cat comment. _Hmmm_ , she thought, _good to know_.

“What do you have to negotiate with?” Fury asked her as she sat in the chair across from him.

She crossed her legs and flicked a knife out from under her long left sleeve. She took a minute to clean under her expertly painted British Racing Green nails, building the tension in the room. “JARVIS, would you be a dear and project a few things for me starting with the origins of my kidnappers, please?”

Information on HYDRA appeared on the television in Tony’s office and dossiers of several SHIELD agents flickered on the screen that had ties to HYDRA. “That, my angry pirate friend,” she motioned the knife towards the screen before continuing her cleaning. “I will have JARVIS send all the information we managed to find about HYRDA to help you clean the squids from your precious SHIELD if you would be so kind as to give me something in return.” She smiled a dark toothy grin, something she had developed in the last few years to help deflect the anger and pain of being kidnapped and now shot by misogynists.

She watched as Fury analyzed the information that scrolled across the screen, his face going stoic and grim as he appeared to recognize several people on the list. Agent Coulson clutched at the chair next to her and sat down heavily, muttering “Sitwell?” over and over again.

“I see that we have your attention. JARVIS?”

“Yes, Miss?”

“Please bring up the list of our demands, please.” The television switched over to a list of Maggie and Tony’s demands which included all of Howard Stark’s belongings, experiments, and work that had been confiscated by SHIELD at his death and the Tesseract. “We would like it all, please. We will know if you withhold anything. During his last few years, the Senior Mr. Stark kept an itemized list of everything he owned and worked on. We would also like help to negotiate with countries that Mr. Stark’s weapons were sold illegally to. Our goal is to confiscate and decommission all SI weapons, including the legally sold ones.”

“And other than the HYDRA list, what do we get in return?” Fury was a bit furious at the whole situation, this 23-year-old woman manipulating the master manipulator and she had him by the short and curlies.

She re-sheathed the knife and looked him straight in his eyes, “Mr. Stark and I will be on-call consultants for extreme threats to the world. You do need some people for your AVENGERs Initiative, I presume? Mr. Stark is the ‘Queen’ in this deal and I’m just his ‘Emotional Support Pawn’ that whacks people for fun.”

He seemed shocked and speechless and she continued to smile at him with an ‘I’m an innocent girl’ smile this time. “Do we have an accord, my dear Mr. Pirate?” She held out her hand.

“Take it, Nick,” Coulson stressed from his chair, still pale. “We need more help than I ever imagined. I can’t believe we never saw this! It’s so obvious in hindsight- Sitwell, freaking Sitwell-.” He trailed off, still in shock.

“We have an accord, Ms. Skold.” Fury ground out, “But I require you to continue training with Romanoff and with her partner when she’s unavailable. I heard you love to learn new weapons,” he added slyly. Maggie rolled her eyes knowing he knew she already had been working with Barton once in a while to perfect her archery. “I assume you know that those two are clean and that is why you have continued to work with them?”

“JARVIS, cleared them after he cleared the two of you and he will include the list of the other agents that are clean of the sticky HYDRA tentacles. JARVIS, please send the list of our demands to Nick’s phone.”

A beep from the phone confirmed her request and Fury opened the document. “The tesseract is SHIELD property, not Stark’s,” Fury said as he reviewed the list on his phone.

“Law of Salvage, Director, even if it was within three miles of the United States Coast, which it was not, it was pre-1987. Howard Stark was the rightful owner of the Tesseract, and as his sole heir, Anthony Edward Stark is now the rightful owner of the Cube of Glowing Azure.”

“It is currently at a protected, non-disclosed location and cannot be moved without approval of the World Security Council. I don’t know how realistic or safe it would be to release a powerful and ancient object to a civilian,” Fury argued.

“I’m just the messenger, I’m sure Mr. Stark would love to negotiate with you over that.” Maggie stood up and shook Fury’s hand, “I have Stark Jr to wrangle so I bid you both au revoir. JARVIS will send you the first wave of information to get you started on your Squid Quest when you deliver Senior’s research.”

She left them in Tony’s office, heading down to the car where Happy waited to take her home. She had this feeling that this was the start of a major change and she wasn’t sure if it was foreboding or excitement.

She felt like it was most likely the former.

*************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay the second to last chapter is done and then we'll do a Thor and Iron Man 2 Monster Mash-up! I'm so excited to have time to write again and I'm hoping I can get this done today and then start on the next journey. To be honest, the end to this chapter was my favorite part so far. I love BAMF Maggie telling the Pirate to give her stuff and give it now! Poor Coulson just doesn't know what do, it's like his whole world collapsed and he needs a hug. 
> 
> Thanks for your support, kudos and comments, Happy New Year everyone! <3 ~M.


	5. Epilogue: Robots and Hammers

It had been 9 months from when Stane had managed to cut all power to the mansion, removing JARVIS from being able to help his Creator and Family. JARVIS would never allow that to happen again, so he continued to discreetly integrate himself in major systems of many of the larger world powers. It gave him access to many tools and resources that would allow him to keep his family safe. He discreetly purchased a retired automobile factory in Poland and another in Detroit under a shell company and had them retrofitted for manufacturing Sir’s suits. Sir had mentioned creating ‘protectors’ that would be able to rescue people in high-risk situations that would be controlled remotely. So JARVIS took the initiative to design drone-like suits that would be easily controlled by him or Sir to do search and rescue. He just had to convince Sir that it was his idea to start with so he could 'start' manufacturing.

After Fury had released Howard Stark’s files, JARVIS analyzed and searched through terabytes of data that had been digitized by Maggie, Sir, and Peter. He now knew that Sir’s personal arc reactor was leaching off heavy metals into his system from the twice-daily scans that Doctor Strange required of Sir. He and Sir had analyzed every known element as a replacement and now JARVIS was searching for something that would be helpful in Howard Stark’s research and notes.

_Hmm, Stark Expo 1974… the design of the grounds seemed a little too well planned,_ JARVIS thought.

**************

Maggie sat straight up in bed, a thump of the bed’s four legs hitting the carpet and the crash of the objects around her startled her into pulling out the knife that she had under the pillow. This seemed to be a nightly occurrence for the last two weeks when the Dreams had started.

The cabin with the fire and the person telling her to focus. Two boys, one blond and one dark-haired running around with her in an elaborate and foreign garden. A woman who glowed from the inside with a gold crown, jewels, and a silk dress. Snuggled up on an elaborate couch with the dark-haired boy, now a teen, reading a book with moving writing. An older blond boy teasing her and the dark boy. A tall stately woman with dark golden hair teaching her swordplay.

The dreams went on and on. It seemed like she was watching someone else’s life. Everything involving the dark-haired and blond boys appeared to be set in an elaborate medieval time period and the cabin life seemed much like the American West.

Her phone rang and she shakily set down her knife before reaching for it.

“Darcy?”

“Hey, Maggie! I’ll be in New Mexico next week with Jane and we were wondering if you wanted to come hang out for a little bit.”

“New Mexico? Why there?”

“I don’t know something sciency. You know those science nerds and their research. You just have to go along with it.”

Maggie laughed, she could use a vacation, “Ok, I’ll ask Tony if I can take some time off. Send me the address and date and I’ll meet you guys there!”

**************

A dark hole in the sky opened and a large object hit the ground, creating a crater the size of an Olympic swimming pool. The glimmer of silver from the center of the deep hole and the sizzle of lightning from the sky flashed as the dust settled in the middle of a New Mexico desert.

**************

Maggie will return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mwhahaha, the end.
> 
> I'm so so excited for the next part! I'm hoping you guys have figured some things out and I can't wait to pop the big reveal. 
> 
> Thanks for reading <3 ~M.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry, JARVIS has too many manners to go Judgement Day! 
> 
> Ever since reading Dont_call_me_Carrie 's : The War is Far From Over Now (which is a must read btw) I've been loving the idea that JARVIS likes to hide his true nature. He is a learning AI... Probably not doing the World Domination thing with this fic, but please go read their fic when you get a chance. It's a bit long, but so worth it and I laughed my ass off at many parts. So giving credit where credit is due for the idea of Skynet JARVIS, but my JARVIS just wants to protect his IronFam and maybe fuck with some people for funsies. 
> 
> <3 ~M.


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